


Illusion of Choice

by MellowWrites



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Creatures & Monsters, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Magic, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blow Jobs, Character Death, Falling In Love, First Time, Forbidden Love, Free Will, Hand Jobs, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Protectiveness, Slaves, War, most likely, some of these tags feel off the further the story gets
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-16
Updated: 2018-11-03
Packaged: 2018-12-16 02:18:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 40
Words: 202,990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11819154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MellowWrites/pseuds/MellowWrites
Summary: In the Wizarding Kingdom of Seijou, war is present against the other humans wizards call "beasts". Despite their differences, no one should take another's free will away.At least, that's how Yahaba sees things.





	1. Sixteen

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to my new story idea. Still uncertain of where this is going _exactly_ but I have a pretty good idea of the main plot and everything. We'll see how this goes!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit on 8/16/2018: Chapter was edited to fix any errors and update with plot relevant things that became apparent later on in the story that doesn't match with the original first chapter.

As far as forests go, the one just east of the kingdom is truly a dark and dreary place, and Yahaba feels a shiver go down his spine the farther he walks. It probably doesn’t help that he saw a storm brewing in the skies to the south, and it looks like it could be approaching them. Behind him, the light crunching of branches echoes about the trees. He knows it’s nothing to worry about - it’s only ‘Sixteen’ following obediently behind him.

Working his jaw a little, Yahaba gulps down his worry. Watari was right, he shouldn’t be doing this, but…

He can’t keep allowing things to continue on in this way. Yahaba pauses, looking back toward where they came. ‘Sixteen’ stops a few paces behind him, dull eyes on him awaiting instruction. Yahaba pays him no mind, looking to the distant castle miles from them now, sitting upon the hill.

It has been years since the Magic Council created their horrible device, and Yahaba has quietly ignored the very idea of it for as long as he possibly could. But when their new king was crowned and gifted the fourth successful experiment a year ago, Yahaba began to look into the device, or chip as it was sometimes called. He was certain that, with his mentor king now, soon Yahaba would be “gifted” one as well. He wanted to be prepared, so that when the day came, he could quietly remove the device and act as though he were incapable of owning a Beast.

It’s been three months since he was given ‘Sixteen’, and Yahaba can’t bring himself to look at the Beast without feeling sick. So Yahaba continues into the darkness, further from the castle and potentially closer to his kingdom’s threat.

His teeth grind together as he runs through the instructions once again; the device had many intricate parts to it, and several specific spells encased within that Yahaba had never even heard of, prior to being granted among Top Tier Wizarding status by his king. To make matters worse, the information he’d had before he had even been considered a Top Tier didn’t mention those spells, or the seals even, which he’d only discovered those thanks to Watari’s research.

With that aside, the device seemed pretty straightforward. However, Watari still warned Yahaba to be cautious - one wrong move, and ‘Sixteen’ could die.

It took two and a half weeks of his new title change before the Council decided to give him ‘Sixteen’ as a present. He still sees no reason for the supposed ‘gift.’ Sure, the grand Wizard king is his mentor and everything, but Yahaba’s first scouting he lead was a failure. He doesn’t even remember it, but the records state he’d failed and…

Either way, Yahaba felt he didn’t deserve a gift from the Magic Council, and had no idea how to turn down the Beast being offered to him. In all the kingdoms, every Wizard who is deemed powerful had a Beast at their side - especially if they obeyed the Wizard.

‘Sixteen’ didn’t obey or respect Yahaba. ‘Sixteen’ can’t make choices, and that is why Yahaba cannot continue on knowing this.

The hut is right where Watari’s old map said it would be, but it’s more run down than Yahaba had thought it might be. His nose crinkles in disgust, but he glances back to ‘Sixteen’ and licks at his dry lips.

Yahaba’s disgust can wait - ‘Sixteen’ deserves to be free.

He pushes in the door, and it feels as though the wooden plank would fall off its hinges if he had pushed too hard. Yahaba holds it in place, gesturing for ‘Sixteen’ to enter as well before shoving the door back in place.

With the amount of holes in the roof and walls, it didn’t seem to matter if he had closed it. Yahaba looks around, sees an old table and little stools, and gestures for ‘Sixteen’ to take a seat. He doesn’t say which one, or that ‘Sixteen’ has to sit on the stools - he could sit on the table for Yahaba cared - in a last ditch effort to at least try to give ‘Sixteen’ some semblance of choice.

‘Sixteen’ goes to the nearest stool that was nearest to where Yahaba had been pointing. Sighing to himself, Yahaba follows and places his sack on the table and begins to dig through it.

He can feel ‘Sixteen’ watching him, waiting for the next command as though he’d like nothing more. Yahaba knows ‘Sixteen’ doesn’t like anything right now. He doesn’t feel anything either. He bites at his inner cheek to keep from telling ‘Sixteen’ to look away.

Beasts were…  _ not _ animals, as far as Yahaba could tell. While the kingdoms all called these uncivilised beings ‘Beasts,’ that wasn’t necessarily true. It was just what the kingdoms decided to call them.

Within the kingdoms, every human is born with magic. How much magic one has gives them status, or the possibility of a job. Those with weak magic are common folk, like Yahaba’s parents. Those with strong magic will be deemed Wizards. Prove your worth and you could become a Top Tier Wizard - like Yahaba - and if you were especially gifted, you could become an underling of the Magic Council.

The Grand Wizard King Oikawa had done all this and then some, and he was only a year older than Yahaba himself. He’s not sure if this is common in their lands, or if Seijou was granted such a powerful Wizard for a king at such a young age before.

Yahaba places the bag of tools he’d been digging for onto the table before rooting around again for the lamp and book Watari had loaned him. Placing the lamp down, Yahaba snaps his fingers and immediately the room is illuminated in the fiery glow of his magic within the lamp.

It’s easier to see ‘Sixteen’ now, and Yahaba just looks at him.

The reason Yahaba’s people had given ‘Sixteen’s people the classification of Beast is because of their general appearance. All Beasts had sharp canine teeth and pointed ears, their pupils slits, nails sharp like claws, and their behavior that of an animal. Their clothing is scarce compared to the fashion within the kingdoms - flowing robes, capes, and rarely would one see another’s skin outside of intimacy. In contrast the Beasts’ clothing barely seemed to cover much, opting instead for more armor that covered their vital areas, and the rest of their skin bearing heavy scars from all their battles.

Who the Beasts would battle didn’t seem to matter, according to Wizards who had researched them. Beasts would fight amongst themselves if they had to, and they definitely always fought Wizards on sight.

Right, that’s part of the reason for the experiments on Beasts; the Wizarding Kingdom of Seijou is at war with the Beasts of the Dark Forest.

The Kingdom of Seijou had made peace with the other kingdoms in this land, with which the treaty had formed the Magic Council. While there were tensions between certain other kingdoms and Seijou, the only true enemy they had at this point were the Beasts. They weren’t a threat in other kingdoms really, their Dark Forest stretching over the lands around Seijou and into the mountains in the south, but other neighboring kingdoms like Fukurodani and Karasuno had sworn to assist Seijou should the need arise during the war. However, the other kingdoms had their own tribes of Beasts to deal with, so Seijou could not always rely on them.

Besides, Yahaba has more important things to worry about right now.

Yahaba turns to ‘Sixteen’ fully, and nods towards him. “I know you can understand me because of the chip,” he says, and all he gets in response is a blinking stare. “So I’m going to say this now before anything happens. I’m not trying to hurt you, and honestly, I’d rather you live through this. So please, bare with me as I try to get that thing off of you.”

‘Sixteen’ just blinks again, unable to answer. The device may allow Beasts to understand the Wizarding language, but they still cannot speak it. Besides, the device the Magic Council made isn’t supposed to give them the ability to speak the language, or speak at all.

Yahaba moves to stand behind ‘Sixteen’, placing a hand on his shoulder to keep the Beast in place. The chip is small, rectangular and mostly embedded into the skin at the nape of ‘Sixteen’s neck. There are odd scars and what looks like veins raised under the skin around the device, but for the most part it doesn’t look like it could easily be removed.

That’s what the Magic Council wants.

A few years ago, the first prisoner of this war was captured - a young Beast who snarled in the direction of Wizards and spoke words that no one could comprehend. The Council met for some time, talking over what to do with the Beast.

Eventually, it was settled that they’d go into experimenting with the Beast. While the people of the kingdoms didn’t know what that meant for the prisoner, Yahaba had felt sick at the idea.

When the Council came out months later with what they’d created, Yahaba couldn’t comprehend why anyone would do such a thing. The device was created in order to tap into a Beast’s general being, and alter certain things to make them servants to Wizards.

In other words, the Magic Council took away the Beast’s free will.

On the surface, it seemed like all they had done was make the Beast tame and willing to take commands from the Wizards. But Yahaba understood from the start what they had really done.

Yahaba shakes his head and focuses back on the present. “Okay,” he breathes, tapping a finger to the device, “I’m going to open this up and… the first thing I have to do is break the seals.” Yahaba knows ‘Sixteen’ doesn’t need to hear this, and he’s not sure if ‘Sixteen’ will even remember, should he succeed in removing it.

No.  _ When _ he succeeds in removing it.

“Then, when that’s done, I’ll be able to tap into the first wire that needs to be broken,” Yahaba continues on, reaching over for a tool from his bag. “They have to be done in a specific order, or it could destroy you completely… Neither of us want that, so I’m going to make sure I do this right.”

Taking the tool in hand, Yahaba leans forward and squints at the device. The opening is difficult to see, and he knows he’ll need a closer look. He straightens and reaches into his sack to pull out a pair of glasses, shoving them onto his nose and immediately adjusting it to magnify with his magic.

Putting a hand on ‘Sixteen’s shoulder, Yahaba gently pushes him forward to get a better angle. “Rest your forehead on your arms, it’ll be easier for me if your neck is exposed.”

‘Sixteen’ immediately does so, and Yahaba tries to tell himself that it’s not terrible to tell him what to do when it’s about to give him back his freedom.

“Just so you know, I’m doing this because I don’t believe in taking away someone’s free will,” Yahaba says, leaning forward to look at the device. He can see it now, the slight parting that will allow him to pry open the device and be able to see inside. “Just because Wizards call your kind Beasts doesn’t mean you’re not human, too - you’re just… different.”

Yahaba slowly puts the tool into the slit, shifting it about until he can jimmie open the casing. It finally pops off after a few good shoves, and Yahaba pinches the small casing between his thumb and forefinger. He sets it aside before pulling the book over, a flick of his finger opening it up to the correct page Watari had helped him find.

“This will hurt,” Yahaba continued on, hoping ‘Sixteen’ is listening, “but it won’t kill you if I do it right, so just… deal with it.” He scrunches his nose at that, shrugging to himself, “well… yeah, okay. The first wire is connected to your thoughts, so while you’re not able to have a thought of your own right now, as soon as I break the seal, remove the spell, and cut the wire, you’ll be flooded with thoughts and be able to think for yourself.” Yahaba scowls, hating the very notion of taking one’s thoughts away. “What’ll hurt is the wire being cut - it’s going to send electrical currents through your body at having lost its source, so when the pain subsides I’ll be able to move onto the next wire.”

He doesn’t bother asking if ‘Sixteen’ is ready or if he understands, considering he can’t answer anyway and that, at the moment, he’ll do whatever Yahaba tells him to.

Not for long.

Licking his lips once again, Yahaba grabs a new tool and leans forward over ‘Sixteen’s form to better look within. There were three wires in total, and without the glasses magnifier, Yahaba is certain he wouldn’t be able to see them properly. Frowning, Yahaba taps his glasses again for a closer look, trying to find the symbol the book describes for the thoughts wire.

After the Council had succeeded in taking away free will from Beasts, they began to try the experiment on every Beast brought in. Most failed, and Yahaba had wished they would have given up when the ratio of successes to deaths had become one to ten, but they never did.

Four years of this and only sixteen successful Beasts had been put under control. It took three years for them to even reach four, and that one had been given to Yahaba’s king when he was crowned.

The sixteenth and most recent success is sitting under Yahaba’s gaze, waiting for his free will to return to him - hence the name of ‘Sixteen’.

Yahaba never called the Beast by that number. As he looks for the correct wire to begin the process, Yahaba considers asking for his real name when he finishes this.

It seems that due to their success rate going up in the last year, the Magic Council stopped using their symbols and Yahaba bites his lip. He’s not sure how to find the correct wire now when he takes a deep breath. Closing his eyes, Yahaba reaches out with his senses, just like his king had taught him.

He feels the hint of illusion magic coming from the bottom-most wire, and Yahaba opens his eyes to look at it. The seal is hidden under a softer, simpler magic, and he quickly wipes it away to focus on the seal. Yahaba narrows his eyes, mutters the name of the seal under his breath and watches it disperse into the air.

When nothing immediately happens, Yahaba hesitates. If it had been the wrong seal, ‘Sixteen’ would be writhing on the floor in agony as his brain begins to melt within his skull. Since that was not the case, Yahaba quietly sighs in relief before returning to focus on the spell now oozing from the wire.

It takes him a second to remember how to reverse the spell despite having spent weeks memorizing it before today. Yahaba gulps in an attempt to clear his mind. He breathes deep and focuses his magic, casting the reversing spell exactly like he’d been memorizing, and he feels the warmth of the illusion magic as it lifts and disperses into the air.

Yahaba relaxes for a moment, glad to be past the magic portion of his first obstacle. Despite his king’s assurances, there were days Yahaba didn’t believe in his magical ability, and he definitely doesn’t trust himself with things like this.

However, ‘Sixteen’ is just as human as he is, and he won’t give up so quickly. ‘Sixteen’ deserves freedom, just like the other fifteen Beasts. While Yahaba can’t go against the Magic Council and free them all, he will at least free the one gifted to him.

Afterall, ‘Sixteen’ is  _ technically  _ his to do with as he pleases according to the Magic Council.

Yahaba hears the crack of thunder rolling closer from outside, but he has yet to hear any rain. He looks up to the ceiling, glad to see it’s still intact directly above them. Nonetheless, Yahaba knows they might need to hurry this process along.

Taking the smallest pair of wire cutters he could find, Yahaba focuses back in on the wire he’s removed the magic from and, with a slightly shaking hand, cuts the wire in one snip.

He jumps away when he sees ‘Sixteen’s body contract, making it clear he’s in pain and holding it in. Yahaba’s brow furrows in worry, hoping that the pain isn’t absolute agony and ‘Sixteen’ will pull through. He wants to tell ‘Sixteen’ he can scream, but he knows no noise will escape the other man until the second wire is cut.

Freedom of thought has been reopened, now to move on to freedom of speech.

Yahaba waits for the shaking in ‘Sixteen’s body to die down, and moves closer again. “Nod when the pain is gone,” he whispers, and almost immediately ‘Sixteen’s head bobs. “Are you sure?” Another nod. “Good; the next one will give you back the ability to speak. Let me know when you’re ready, and… if at all possible, tell me your name once the next pain subsides.”

‘Sixteen’ doesn’t move from his hunched over form, but his head bobs a few times so Yahaba moves closer to continue.

He does the same as he had before with his senses, trying to find the next wire. The magic within this spell should have ties to sound, and when Yahaba feels the hint of it, he focuses again on the wires.

This time it’s coming from the top wire, so Yahaba pulls the seal forward and whispers it’s name until it disperses. Again, he waits for any signs that it had been wrong, and when all seems to be well, Yahaba turns his attention to the spell and how to reverse it.

Yahaba doesn’t hesitate on this one, having spent more time memorizing this spell than the last one due to it’s tricky nature. Sound magic wasn’t Yahaba’s strong suit, but he made it work.

With the spell gone, Yahaba holds his breath and brings his shaking hand forward, cutting the wire in one quick movement.

The sound that bursts from ‘Sixteen’s mouth is inhuman, and Yahaba immediately covers his ears. The thunder rolls again, but ‘Sixteen’s screams are far louder. The pain must be worse than he imagined. Yahaba almost wants to stop, to not go onto the third for fear of hurting the Beast beyond repair. But he knows that it wouldn’t be fair, and Yahaba steels himself to push forward.

It takes longer this time for ‘Sixteen’s body to stop shaking, and his screams are terrible. It sounds like he’s ripping his throat by the way his voice wavers, but when he finally comes down from it, ‘Sixteen’ is panting and heaving.

Yahaba is glad that the final wire is freedom of movement - if he had cut that first, he’s not sure ‘Sixteen’ would have stayed hunched over the table for him.

He waits, the sound of thunder crashing again telling him the storm is even closer. “Are you able to tell me your name?” No response. “I’d hate to call you a number, is all,” Yahaba ventures quietly, hopeful he’ll be able to understand it.

‘Sixteen’ doesn’t answer for a moment. Taking a big gulp of air, he croaks, “K - Kyou… tani…”

Yahaba blinks once, surprised at how simple the name sounds. “Kyoutani? That’s your name?”

A grunt is all he gets in response. Yahaba smiles to himself, moving to stand over Kyoutani once again.

“Alright, Kyoutani,” he nods to himself, “are you ready to regain freedom over your body?”

Kyoutani grunts again, mutters something in his language that Yahaba doesn’t know the meaning of. He ignores the cutting sound of Kyoutani’s voice, figures it’s harsh from the screaming and lack of use prior to the second wire being cut. If Kyoutani is saying something unkind, Yahaba is completely oblivious and he’d like to stay that way.

For a final time, Yahaba pulls the seal forward from the last wire. It disperses at the sound of its own name, and Yahaba takes a deep breath when he feels the full force of the binding magic.

The spell is strong, and definitely the reason no Beast has ever broken free from the device’s control. Yahaba gulps, tries to calm down by reminding himself that he knows this spell better than any other after all of his memorization. With a few deep breaths, Yahaba focuses intensely on it’s removal until it’s left nothing behind.

“One last time and then you’re free, Kyoutani,” Yahaba murmurs, raising his shaking hand to cut the wire. Kyoutani doesn’t say anything or respond at all, and Yahaba hesitates for a second.

What if Kyoutani attacks him simply because he’s a Wizard? He probably won’t, but the thought still hangs there. After all, their people are at war with one another.

Yahaba shakes his head, reminding himself that he didn’t have to take Kyoutani out into the woods, far away from any magic born human to ensure they wouldn’t hear his screams, in order to give him his freedom.

The wire cutters snip right through without a second thought and Yahaba jumps away, certain Kyoutani will begin to writhe and potentially have a violent fit over the pain. He watches as not even a second after, Kyoutani falls from the stool, clutching at his convulsing body and screaming in agony once again.

Yahaba feels the water drop on his nose before he hears the downpour begin. There’s not as many holes in the ceiling as he had thought, and it’s more of a leak directly above him, but Yahaba knows the storm has officially made it overhead.

He waits until Kyoutani is no long thrashing on the floor before making his way over, grabbing the tiny plate that he’d removed initially. Kyoutani jumps at the feeling of Yahaba’s fingers touching him, and he stares up at Yahaba with wide, almost glowing golden eyes.

It’s the most emotion he’s ever seen in depths of Kyoutani’s eyes, and Yahaba tries not to smile too widely at the sight. “You have your free will again, but I cannot fully remove the chip. Let me put the cover back on, since I can’t take all the wiring out.”

Kyoutani gapes up at him for a moment before nodding, sitting upright to allow Yahaba access to his neck again. Yahaba slips the cover back into place and stands tall again.

“Alright, you’re all set,” Yahaba smacks his hands together as though he’s wiping away dust. “I’ll uh, tell the Council and my king that I was careless with you and lead you to your death or something. Maybe they’ll think twice about giving me another ‘gift’.” Kyoutani’s eyes narrow a little, looking up at Yahaba at that last statement. “N-not that I thought of you as an object, obviously,” Yahaba rushes to say, avoiding Kyoutani’s eyes, “just that  _ they _ thought that way I-I just needed to set you free.”

Kyoutani pulls himself to stand, but it’s clear he’s drained as he begins to fall forward. Yahaba catches him in surprise, gently guiding him back to the floor.

“Yeah, you should probably rest before you try heading home,” Yahaba mumbles, and Kyoutani scowls at him. “Hey, you were in a lot of pain just now! Rest up, it’s good for you.”

He moves to stand away from Kyoutani then, looking around the hut for anything that could be made into a bed. Finding nothing, Yahaba sighs and goes to his sack, pulling out his winter robes from the deep recesses of his magic pocket. They were thick and soft, made from the fur of a large mammal that had been poached by hunters. He brings it over, laying it onto the dusty floor before gesturing to it.

“Rest on this, it’s better than the floor,” he says when Kyoutani just gives him a look. When Kyoutani doesn’t move towards it, Yahaba rolls his eyes. “You don’t have to wear it, it’s just… softer, is all.”

Kyoutani’s eyes shift between the winter robes and Yahaba until he finally grunts something, rolling his body up onto the furs and settling in.

Yahaba sighs, looking up to the leaking ceiling as a flash of lightning appears outside.


	2. Safe

It’s obvious the hut may not hold the longer the storm rages on, so Yahaba sighs to himself and places protection spells into the walls of the building. They’re meant to keep the aged and rotting wood from collapsing in on itself, but Yahaba fears he might have done it wrong.

Of course after two hours of sitting on one of the dinky little stools and the hut remains standing, few leaks breaking through here and there, Yahaba gets over his worry and rests his head into his arms. Kyoutani had fallen asleep in the first hour of the storm, curled in on himself in Yahaba’s furs. Yahaba tries not to watch the other sleep, worried it would somehow alert the enhanced senses of the beast to wake up.

So when Yahaba feels himself beginning to be lulled to sleep by the storm, uncomfortably hunched over the table, he’s startled by the sudden appearance of Kyoutani at his side and nearly falls from his seat. “W-what?!”

Kyoutani doesn’t look at him, he just pulls Yahaba’s rucksack closer and begins to dig into it. Yahaba watches him, feeling groggy despite never having fallen asleep, and wonders what the beast could be looking for. Kyoutani is scowling about something, but Yahaba sees no reason for him to be digging into the bag.

“Hey, what are you doing…?” Yahaba yawns, reaching over to stop him. Kyoutani snaps his gaze to Yahaba, a glare heavy on his face and Yahaba flinches back. “That’s my bag, you can’t just—”

“ _Yahaba!_ ” A voice shouts and Kyoutani pulls something from the bag. “Seriously, would you just—” the voice gasps when Kyoutani looks at the object. “... you’re not supposed to be using the mirror, ‘Sixteen’…”

Yahaba blanches, shooting forward to pull the small mirror from Kyoutani’s hold and looking into the reflective surface. Instead of seeing himself within the mirror, he sees Watari’s concerned face. “S-sorry about that, Watari! ‘Si-sixteen’ heard you from inside and,” he racks his brain for an excuse, “I… I told him to alert me whenever he heard anything! Of course, I wasn’t completely clear…” Yahaba laughs it off, but it sounds awkward.

Kyoutani’s glaring at him, as though he can’t comprehend why Yahaba is acting so strange.

“I never thought I would have to remind him only top tier wizards can use the magic mirror,” Yahaba coughs, sending a glance to Kyoutani, “and that beasts should never appear in one.”

Kyoutani doesn’t look impressed, but he’s not glaring anymore. Yahaba turns back to look at Watari, who still looks very concerned. “Yahaba…”

“I know, I know,” he rushes to say, “don’t worry, I will… uh… make sure my commands are more clear.”

Watari sighs, nodding a little. “Yeah okay, I get what you’re trying to say.” Yahaba thinks that means Watari knows Yahaba has succeeded in giving Kyoutani his free will back. At least he hopes that’s how he’ll take it. “Is your mission going okay?”

He’d almost forgotten why he was allowed into the forest in the first place. “The storm from the south caught up to us, so we found shelter,” Yahaba says, shrugging a little, “I figured it was better to wait the storm out than to go out into it looking for the flower.”

Kyoutani makes a soft sound, and Yahaba presses the mirror to his chest to put a finger to his lips. Kyoutani narrows his eyes and opens his mouth to retort, but Yahaba snaps his fingers and puts a small silencing spell over Kyoutani’s lips. He tries to make his face look apologetic, but Kyoutani looks even angrier.

He doesn’t have time to worry about that. Yahaba pulls the mirror back into his view and frowns at Watari’s expression. “Sorry, I just felt bad leaving ‘Sixteen’ standing there, I had to tell him to go take a seat.”

Kyoutani actually plops down onto the stool next to himself, slumping over the table as he glares up at Yahaba. He tries not to think that Kyoutani might still be obeying him, but it bothers him all the same.

Watari hums in response, putting a finger to his chin as he thinks of something to say. “Well, the beasts aren’t supposed to care about whatever their wizard tells them to do. You’re too kind to him, Yahaba.”

He knows he’s trying to play it off, and Yahaba just shrugs in response. “So is that all? You’re just checking up on me?”

“Yeah, pretty much,” Watari nods, and a twitch to his lip tells Yahaba he’s going to say something cryptic. “Glad to know your _mission_ is going well. Let me know if you need anything.”

Yahaba nods and waves silently. Watari does the same before the image fades out, Yahaba’s reflection finally showing through. He blinks at the image of himself for a moment before grabbing his bag, stuffing the mirror back into the recesses of the magic pocket before closing the bag. He takes a deep breath before snapping his fingers, dispersing the spell over Kyoutani’s lips.

Kyoutani mutters something, rubbing at his lips. “Sorry, it’s just… the Magic Council monitors the mirrors,” Yahaba whispers, and Kyoutani shifts to watch him again. “Since they believe wizards are better than beasts, and any beasts near a wizard is better off a slave or dead… well, it’s just better you don’t grab my mirror again. If you hear someone calling for me, just gesture to the bag, okay?”

Kyoutani blinks once before nodding. He gestures to Yahaba now, and Yahaba sends him a questioning look. A string of words in a language Yahaba can’t comprehend comes from his mouth and Yahaba shakes his head.

“I don’t know what you’re saying,” he admits, “I uh… it’s probably better if you leave once the storm ends. It’s not safe for you to come back to the kingdom if you have your free will.”

Yahaba frowns when Kyoutani shakes his head, and he steps back when Kyoutani stands to be at eye level. “Yahaba,” Kyoutani says, his name sounding rough in his accent and it sends a shiver down Yahaba’s spine, “not… safe.”

“What?” Yahaba’s brow furrows and he shakes his head, “I can protect myself. What am I not safe from?”

Kyoutani’s jaw shifts and his eyes drop to the table as he thinks of the words. “May-gic… Coon-sill.”

He almost laughs at how poorly he pronounces the words, but Yahaba knows that’s not the right response. Especially since Kyoutani seems to think Yahaba is in danger. “Wait what, how is the Magic Council a danger to me?”

“Kyoutani,” he says, pointing to himself before pointing to Yahaba, “Yahaba.”

Yahaba blinks, trying to understand. “... I don’t get it.”

Kyoutani growls, reaching back to smack his neck before pointing at Yahaba again. “Yahaba! Kyoutani Yahaba!”

“... you think the Magic Council expects me to keep you?” Yahaba guesses, and he’s actually surprised when Kyoutani nods. “Wait so… I’m in danger if I don’t come back with you?”

He nods in response, pointing to Yahaba. “Not safe. Kyoutani be Yahaba.”

Yahaba sighs, “are you… trying to say something specific when you say our names like that?”

“Kyoutani be Yahaba…” Kyoutani groans, gesturing between them.

“Go slowly,” Yahaba gestures to him, “I’ll try to piece together what you’re saying.” Kyoutani growls, but he puts his hand to his chest. “Kyoutani,” Yahaba says, and watches Kyoutani point at him with a wag of his finger. “Yahaba… yeah, I’m not following.”

Kyoutani yells, pointing between them in frustration.

Yahaba thinks, licking his lips as he looks around. Kyoutani can only understand his language, and it’s clear he can’t speak it - at least not in a comprehensive way. If he can’t speak it, it probably means he can’t write in it either. He glances to his bag as Kyoutani keeps saying something, still unable to understand the beast language.

“Hang on, I have an idea,” he murmurs, reaching into the bag. Immediately Kyoutani goes quiet, watching Yahaba with curiosity. “Watari has been studying your language, maybe he can help.” Kyoutani’s eyes go wide, and Yahaba hears him mutter the poor pronunciation of Magic Council again. “I won’t ask him over the mirror, I’ll just ask him to come here.”

Kyoutani seems to relax, and Yahaba pulls the mirror out once again. Breathing on the surface, Yahaba scribbles the spelling of Watari’s name into the fog and watches the mirror fade out until Watari’s room comes into frame.

Watari is digging around a stack of books, barely in the image Yahaba can see, and he frowns. “Hey, Watari!”

Watari jumps, a few small scrolls flying through the air before he leans over to look at the mirror. “Oh, that was sooner than I thought,” he says, moving back to fix whatever he dropped. Yahaba waits a moment, listening to the shuffle of papers and books until Watari returns to the image. “What is it? Is everything alright?”

Yahaba bites his lip, thinking of an excuse. “Would you be able to bring some… poison remedy?” Watari looks surprised, and Yahaba shifts his eyes to the side. “Uh… I think we might have walked through some poison leaves on our way to the hut. My ankles look a little red…?”

He waits for Watari to get what he means and sees the other sigh in exasperation. “Yeah, yeah… I’ll hurry that way.”

“Uh!” Yahaba yells before Watari can wave him goodbye, and Watari’s fingers curl into his hand in confusion. “Bring your… language book…?”

“Why?”

“I…” Yahaba’s eyes search the room for a second, “well, it’s raining pretty bad. You should stay with us and spend some time studying!”

Watari’s face is blank as he stares at Yahaba. “Uh… okay…?” Yahaba smiles, and Watari narrows his eyes. He straightens though when he notices the way Yahaba glances to the side again for a second. “Oh! Yeah, I can do that!”

“Thanks, Watari,” Yahaba says, and he raises his hand to wave. Watari waves back and the image fades out back to a regular mirror. Yahaba immediately pockets the mirror into his bag and closes it up, focusing on Kyoutani now. “He’ll be able to understand you… mostly.”

Kyoutani doesn’t look impressed.

“What?”

“Yahaba stupid,” Kyoutani murmurs and Yahaba reaches over to smack him. Kyoutani moves out of the way, shaking his head.

“Why do you know stupid of all things?!” Yahaba shouts and Kyoutani just shakes his head.

They sit at the table then, the storm still heavy overhead as they wait for Watari. Kyoutani’s sharp nails tap a pattern into the tabletop and Yahaba watches for a moment before he pulls out a deck of cards from his bag. “Want to play a game?”

Kyoutani just looks at the deck in confusion. He makes a single sound, and Yahaba can’t figure out what it might mean.

“... have you ever played cards?” Kyoutani shakes his head, and Yahaba licks his lips in thought. “Well, I can teach you a simple game, I guess.” Kyoutani looks between the cards and Yahaba, a skeptical look on his face. “It’s not that hard…”

He nods slowly, and so Yahaba goes into explaining the deck and the cards to him - how the higher numbers win against lower ones and how the face cards will beat out one another, Death trumping them all, as well as the different suits of the five colors. Kyoutani glared at the Royal card for the star suit, and Yahaba couldn’t imagine why - the star suit matched that of the Kingdom of Seijou’s royal colors, so the Royal is meant to look like their king. Yahaba’s teacher is a good man, Kyoutani shouldn’t dislike him.

They take the first game slowly, Yahaba still explaining it when Kyoutani looks at him in confusion. The game ends in Yahaba’s favor, but he notices that Kyoutani could have won if he had discarded the right hand.

Yahaba shuffles the deck expertly, Kyoutani watching with fascination as they go into another. This time Kyoutani recognizes he could win, and Yahaba smiles at him for picking up on it.

After five consecutive wins for Yahaba, Kyoutani finally draws a Death card to win and Yahaba laughs at his smug expression. Thunder rumbles overhead, much louder than any other, and Kyoutani flinches, his pointed ears twitching oddly.

He thinks of asking if Kyoutani doesn’t like the sound when he hears the wooden plank trying to pass off as a door slam open. Yahaba immediately stands, turning to the door in surprise. He hears Kyoutani do the same, and they wait for a moment to see if someone will enter.

It’s Watari who stumbles in, turning to push the plank back in place. Yahaba relaxes, looking his friend over and wincing at how damp he looks. “I’m almost sorry - you’re soaking wet.”

Watari turns to glower at him, peeling the cloak off of his body and letting it fall in a sopping mess to the floor. “You better have a good reason for me coming here; I know you’re not dumb enough to walk through poisoned leaves.” He looks down to his bag, considering it a moment. “And you also better hope my books didn’t get ruined.”

Yahaba grins sheepishly, “well, I mean, did you actually walk here?”

“No, I took a chance on the teleportation spell,” Watari sighs, “only, I missed by a few feet and had to walk through the pouring rain for longer than I meant to.”

“At least you didn’t appear in a tree or something,” Yahaba says, relieved to see Watari in one piece. Teleportation spells can be dangerous if you’ve never been to the place you’re going to.

Watari snorts his response and waddles over to them, his clothes also wet despite the cloak. “Whatever - is he telling you something and you can’t understand him?”

Yahaba nods, turning his attention to Kyoutani. He doesn’t look very happy, stepping away from Watari to keep his distance when the other wizard moves to the table, dumping his bag onto it. “Kyoutani, could you—”

“Kyoutani?” Watari asks, looking from Yahaba to Kyoutani with surprise. “He told you his name?”

“I,” Yahaba feels a little heat rise to his cheeks and shrugs despite it, “I just asked… I didn’t want to call him ‘Sixteen’ forever…”

Watari glances back to him, his jaw hanging open. “So then… what have you understood so far?”

Yahaba scratches his neck, shaking his head. “Not too much… something about the Magic Council and that he thinks I’m not safe if I go back to the kingdom without him.”

Kyoutani says something, and they both turn back to him, watching him grow frustrated. He repeats the same words - at least Yahaba thinks he’s repeating himself - as he focuses on Watari. Watari, as far as Yahaba could tell, is listening intently.

After a moment, Watari breathes a single sound of wonder, turning to his bag and pausing at the sight of his wet clothes. Yahaba notices and snaps his fingers, creating unburning fire in his hand and using it to dry Watari just a bit. Watari nods to him in thanks, waiting for his clothes to stop dripping before he reaches into his bag. Yahaba steps away, going over to collect the discarded cloak to begin drying that instead.

“So wait, go back for a second uh… Kyoutani,” Watari’s voice carries over him, and he hears a book begin flipped through. “You said that you think Yahaba will be in more danger if he goes back without you, right?”

Kyoutani grunts something, and Yahaba frowns. “But why…?” He mutters to himself, and Watari makes a noise of agreement.

“Yeah, considering you have free will right now, and Yahaba’s the one who gave it back to you, you’d both be killed on sight,” Watari says, and Yahaba throws a look over his shoulder to his friend. “It’s true! Don’t look at me like that!”

Kyoutani grumbles a few words, and Yahaba glances to him instead. Kyoutani points over to him, and Yahaba hears his name being said before Kyoutani’s own.

Watari stares at him before he flips through his book. Yahaba hangs the slightly less wet cloak up onto a nail, hurrying over to look at what Watari is reading. “What did he say?”

“Hang on, I’m… not sure about one of the words,” Watari murmurs, and Kyoutani clicks his tongue. “Sorry, sorry! I’m still new to your language!” Kyoutani says something that makes Watari glare up at him, “oh please, you only understand us because of that chip in your neck.”

Yahaba shifts his weight, looking at the words that mean nothing to him in the book. “Watari, what did he say?!”

Watari scoffs, pushing Yahaba away a little, “calm down, I’m trying to figure it out.” Yahaba backs off, but he bounces slightly on the balls of his feet in anticipation. Watari’s skimming through his book, trying to find the word Kyoutani used that he didn’t understand. “Okay wait… repeat the part about you and Yahaba for me.”

Kyoutani does, and it’s strange to hear Yahaba’s name mixed into the language. Kyoutani’s seems to hang nicely within the sentence, but it’s Yahaba’s own that makes the sentence seem off.

Watari frowns, staring into the books. “Uh… so you’re saying the Magic Council gave you to Yahaba because…” Watari narrows his eyes as they skim over the words again. “Hang on, let me think…”

Yahaba heaves a sigh, looking to stare up at the ceiling. Kyoutani crosses his arms over his chest, repeating himself in a slower, impatient tone. Yahaba looks over to him, watches the way Kyoutani’s arms seem to flex as though he’s trying to keep from hitting something.

Beasts are supposed to be violent and unwilling to talk things out - Yahaba wonders why Kyoutani is even trying.

Watari gasps, and Yahaba turns back to him immediately. “It wasn’t the Magic Council! They only agreed because our king told them you needed to be Yahaba’s!”

Kyoutani grunts, a short nod of his head. He says something else, gesturing between himself and Yahaba. Watari frowns, brow furrowing.

“Huh…” Watari looks between the book, Kyoutani, and Yahaba. At Yahaba’s questioning look, Watari looks to be uncomfortable. “Uh… well, it sounds like Kyoutani remembers what was said before he was gifted to you.”

“Okay, and?” Yahaba asks, gesturing for Watari to go on.

“Apparently, King Oikawa was insistent on Kyoutani being gifted to you specifically,” Watari avoids his eyes, “said something about it being good for both of you.”

Yahaba frowns, “why would the Magic Council agree to do what King Oikawa says? He’s a king, sure, but the Magic Council doesn’t have to listen to the kings.”

Kyoutani says something again and Watari stares at him. “I guess… the Magic Council agreed that you would benefit from having him as your beast, and that you wouldn’t make another mistake if you had something to protect you.”

Yahaba’s brows furrow. He doesn’t even remember his first mission - the whole thing is a blur that, no matter how hard he tried, he just could not remember. “I don’t need protection, though. And anyway, why would the Magic Council care if I need protection?”

He jumps when a clawed hand grabs his arm, and he stares at Kyoutani’s fierce expression. Kyoutani’s voice rumbles with irritation, and Yahaba has no idea what is being said to him. Slowly he peers over at Watari, who’s gaping at Kyoutani.

“Watari…?”

“He…” Watari shakes his head, “he said the Magic Council was planning on getting rid of you after that mission, but the king came in and demanded they keep you safe…” Yahaba’s eyes widen, and he looks back to Kyoutani. “Apparently, King Oikawa convinced them to give you Kyoutani so he’d keep you safe, and they gave him a… condition.”

Yahaba brings his gaze back to Kyoutani’s, sees the emotions burning in the depths of his glowing irises. “What… what’s the condition?”

“Kyoutani be Yahaba,” Kyoutani grumbles, and nods only once.

“... I think he’s meaning to say he’s yours,” Watari mumbles, and Yahaba feels heat in his cheeks. “Their language doesn’t translate well, but saying ‘Kyoutani be Yahaba’ is like trying to say ‘Kyoutani is Yahaba’s,’ you know?”

Yahaba pulls out of Kyoutani’s grip. “Why do you care?” He asks the beast, shaking his head. “You have free will now, you shouldn’t have to feel obligated to keep me safe anymore.”

Kyoutani scowls, “Kyoutani… _is_ Yahaba…’s….” It’s awkward how he finally corrects what he means, but the declaration makes Yahaba’s face burn. Kyoutani says something else, and Yahaba wants to pull his hair out.

“He seems to be worried about you,” Watari interjects, “and uh… he feels responsible for your safety now that you’ve freed him. I guess… his people believe in paying back what is given to them.”

Yahaba looks between Kyoutani’s eyes as he nods in answer to Watari’s words, agreeing with the translation. “... what if I said I don’t want you to pay me back?” Kyoutani glares, looking ready to protest when Yahaba shakes his head. “I mean, do what you want, but if you did come back with me… you’d have to be silent, show no expression, stand up straight…” Yahaba sighs, shaking his head, “you’d have to act like you don’t have free will, and I can’t ask you to do that.”

There’s some silence, broken only by the pouring rain and now distancing thunder. Kyoutani takes a few deep breaths, looking about the hut as he thinks of his answer. He seems to settle on something, and he says this to Yahaba. Yahaba listens, unable to decipher the words, but Watari clears his throat.

“He says he wants to keep you safe from the Magic Council, and will do what he needs to in order to come back with you,” Watari hesitates for a moment before continues, “also that… apparently, if he were to go back to his people, they would shun him if they found out he didn’t repay you for saving him.”

Yahaba’s mouth falls open at that, and he stares at Kyoutani’s determined expression. “Oh… I… I understand then.”

“Yahaba,” Watari says, making Yahaba turn to him now, “while I get what he’s saying, I’m not sure if you’ll actually be safer with him beside you now that he has free will.”

He bites his lip, silently agreeing with Watari. “... maybe if I ask the king about this—”

“No,” Watari snaps, and Yahaba jumps. “King Oikawa may want to keep you safe, but he seems to agree with the council about beasts! If you tell him all this, he’ll find out you gave Kyoutani his free will back, and after that, who knows what will happen!”

Yahaba frowns, remembering ‘Four’ standing obediently in the corner during his lessons with the king prior to becoming top tier. King Oikawa didn’t seem ashamed of his beast like Yahaba is, and he will give commands to ‘Four’ without hesitation most days. Taking away the beasts’ free will doesn’t seem to be something terrible to the king, and Yahaba’s not sure if his king will be okay with what Yahaba has done.

The only reason Watari helped him is because he does agree with him - but only silently, and without any worry that he himself will receive a beast from the council. Watari’s skills as a wizard is just under that of top tier, and rather than try any harder, Watari has chosen the life of a royal apothecary apprentice. Apothecary’s… do not have the glam or rich fulfilling lives of top tier wizards. And as an apprentice, under Seijou’s current royal apothecary - Mizoguchi - Yahaba knows Watari will not be receiving any gifts from the Magic Council any time soon.

So Yahaba looks at Kyoutani, trying to think of what he should do. On the one hand, returning without Kyoutani could - if Kyoutani is right - potentially lead to Yahaba’s death. On the other, returning with Kyoutani would be a challenge to make sure no one notices his free will. And should someone notice that Kyoutani is not obedient…

Yahaba grimaces, shaking his head. There are few ways to ensure they both live and so many that leads to their deaths. And since Watari is slightly involved, this could also lead to his own death.

“Yahaba,” Kyoutani mutters, and he turns his focus back onto the beast. “Safe. Kyoutani is Yahaba’s.”

He sounds so sure of himself, and while the sentences are… off, it’s clear what he means. “Do you really think you’ll keep me safe if you come back to the kingdom?”

Kyoutani nods only once, and it’s enough to make up Yahaba’s mind. One final distant strike of thunder sounds through the sky outside, and Yahaba thinks the storm will come to an end soon.


	3. Acem

Watari looks as though he’s going to be sick the closer they get to the castle walls. Yahaba keeps glancing over to him in worry, and he tries not to glance at the villagers outside of Seijou Castle. They’re surely watching the three of them closely - Yahaba remembers being a small child who would gawk at the wizards who came through, and he knows that the sigil on his back will alert them all to his status as a top tier wizard.

That always made Yahaba run home to his parents in excitement to tell them about the top tier wizard he saw.

What makes it even more exciting is that Yahaba has a beast following behind him. The villagers in the outer ring barely ever see a beast outside of war related occasions, or attacks from groups of beasts (they usually don’t live to talk about it, though), so being able to see one now - and a “tame” one at that - is definitely a treat for these people.

At least that’s what it sounds like from their whispers.

Yahaba glances over his shoulder to Kyoutani to see if he’s reacting, and he heaves a sigh of relief when he notes the blank expression he wears. Kyoutani keeps his eyes on Yahaba’s back, and he doesn’t look around at the people of Seijou.

He thinks he notices Kyoutani very briefly glance over in the wealthier part of the town the further in they get, but Yahaba imagines it’s because these civilians dress in ridiculously fancy clothes.

Briefly he wonders if Kyoutani will openly stare once they’re within the castle - _everyone_ dresses in fancy clothes in the castle. Especially the king and his court.

Yahaba doesn’t think he counts as a member of the court; his clothes were tame in comparison, but then again, they were still wildly different than the leather armor and ripped rags that beasts wore. Kyoutani probably already looks at Yahaba as though he is strange.

His jaw shifts, keeping himself from grinding his teeth at the thought. He can’t place what it is that bothers him about that thought, but it most certainly does.

Their approach is all it takes for the guards to open the gate and Yahaba looks again to Watari as the steel doors swing open. “You going to be okay…?”

“The villagers may not notice,” Watari whispers, face far paler than Yahaba ever remembers it being, “but those in the castle see ‘tamed’ beasts all the time… they’re going to see the difference…”

Yahaba bites his lip, turning to look at Kyoutani again. It’s clear he can hear Watari, his brows furrowing just the tiniest bit. He thinks Kyoutani disagrees and is trying his best to keep from reacting in order to prove a point.

It’s almost endearing, if Watari’s worries weren’t valid.

They cross over the threshold of the castle walls and enter the front courtyard, some of the additional houses for the high born individuals big and imposing around the way. The entrance to the castle itself is directly across from them, but there are diverting paths to the other homes that surround the castle. Those same high borns are milling about, staring down their noses at one another or stopping to whisper about the interesting things they see.

Yahaba does his best to ignore their looks, walking alongside Watari through the courtyard and he hopes with every fiber of his being that Kyoutani is doing the same. The high borns always made him uncomfortable, even though King Oikawa had been one himself not too long ago. 

Most kings come from high born families, after all. 

He can't quite hear what they're saying, but whatever it may be Yahaba just hopes Kyoutani isn't listening to them. And if he is, Yahaba hopes that he pays them no mind - if they are talking about Yahaba and “his beast,” it can never be anything good. The high borns already believe they're better than everyone else; beasts are even less than the dirt they don't even really walk on. 

When there isn't an outrage or any ridiculous scandalous gasps from the high borns, Yahaba proceeds forward with relaxed shoulders into the entrance hall of the castle. Watari remains at his side and from what he's able to tell, Kyoutani is only a few paces behind him. He considers looking back to check on him, but someone catches his attention at the top of the stairs leading to the second floor of the castle. 

The Hand of the King, Matsukawa Issei, looks over the banisters down to Yahaba, a blank expression on his face. Yahaba usually wouldn't be bothered by Matsukawa’s presence, but he knows better than to ignore when the Hand of the King is looking at him. 

So he waits in the center of the hall for Matsukawa when he begins to descend the stairs, and Watari pauses as well. Kyoutani seems to hesitate, but he eventually comes to a stop a few steps away from Yahaba, although it may be a bit too close for beasts who aren't meant to have free will. 

Yahaba bites his lip and hopes Matsukawa doesn't notice. 

“Yahaba,” Matsukawa says, nodding to him before glancing to Watari, “and Watari. Seems Mizoguchi has been looking for you, Watari.”

With a tight nod, Watari sends a glance to Yahaba before he bows lightly in respect to Matsukawa and hurries away. 

Matsukawa watches him go, turning back to Yahaba with a small smirk. “The storm catch you off guard, Oh Special One?”

Yahaba frowns, knowing the hand is messing with him. “I know his grace doesn't call me that, my lord… but yes, the storm caught me by surprise.”

He receives a small snort of a laugh in response and Yahaba feels his face burn at the sound. “Oikawa puts so much faith in you, and sometimes I question it.” Yahaba’s shoulders slump and he avoids looking Matsukawa in the eye. “However,” Matsukawa hums, “I don't question it often; you're very important to him, you do know that right?”

Yahaba shrugs, “his grace is far too kind.”

“But he has good reason to trust in you,” Matsukawa clicks his tongue, “which by default means I trust in you.” Yahaba turns his attention back up to Matsukawa with small surprise, blinking a few times to see if his image will change to someone else. He wants to ask what he means, but Yahaba doesn't know if he has a right to question the Hand of the King. Matsukawa only smiles, “but for now, I simply want to question if you completed the mission Oikawa sent you on.”

He can feel the floor fall away from him as the crushing realisation hits him. Yahaba never gathered the flower like King Oikawa asked of him. 

“... uh…”

Matsukawa raises one of his brows in amusement. “Uh-oh, that's the face of someone who didn't do what they were asked.” Yahaba’s face couldn't burn any worse, and he watches Matsukawa glance over to Kyoutani. “Sixteen didn't keep you busy or something, right?”

Yahaba turns to look back at Kyoutani, and is at least relieved to see the beast has the blankest expression on his face. If it weren't for the small glow in his golden eyes, Yahaba would argue that Kyoutani never had regained his free will - that Yahaba had dreamt the whole process. 

“What do you mean?” Yahaba asks, turning to face Matsukawa again. 

Matsukawa nods to the beast in question, “it looks to me he's been told to stay close to you. Having trouble with your commands?”

Yahaba internally freaks out, and prays to the gods that his outward expression doesn’t display any worries. “Not at all; the Dark Forest is a dangerous place. I’ve simply told K—’Si-sixteen’ to stick close to me until we’ve returned to my chambers.” Shit, Matsukawa is bound to notice that near slip!

But Matsukawa doesn't jump on it, only nodding in response. “Well, seems to me he's going to stick close for a little while longer. Oikawa isn't going to be happy if you go to him without the flower you know.”

Yahaba nods in understanding and without waiting for any other instruction, he turns on his heels and quickly walks back out of the castle. From the sound of footsteps behind him, Kyoutani has wisely chosen to follow him. 

“And Yahaba!” Matsukawa calls out to him, making him pause. Yahaba slowly rounds back in the doorway, staring over at Matsukawa’s amused expression. “Naming a beast brings attachment. Don't grow too attached now, okay?”

He's not sure what he means at first, but Yahaba nods anyway before continuing out of the castle. It hits him when they reach the gate - Matsukawa definitively noticed the near slip. 

Yahaba groans to himself, smacking his forehead. Kyoutani lightly jumps beside him, and he's lucky they're under the gate where no one can see them. He's sending Yahaba a strange look, making Yahaba roll his eyes. 

“It's nothing; just act dead inside until we're back to the forest,” Yahaba mutters and Kyoutani nods, returning his focus to keeping his face blank. 

He's impressed in all honesty. Yahaba knows the villagers are talking about Kyoutani, but the beast has yet to react to them. He himself can't hear what's being said, but beasts are rumored to have amazing hearing. There's no way Kyoutani can't hear their harsh words. 

Yahaba holds back his grin - he may not have wanted Kyoutani, but he's glad he got a beast that seems to be able to control himself. At least for now it seems to stand that Kyoutani doesn't lash out at people. 

He looks around at the villagers they pass, some of the children staring up at him with awe-struck expressions. It makes him smile and Yahaba waves to the children as he passes, making some gasp in excitement and others turn to run. He knows they're not afraid - he'd done the same when he was young. 

They're at the edge of the outer village sooner than he'd expected when he hears Kyoutani scoff under his breath. “What?”

“Yahaba stupid,” is all he says and Yahaba rounds to smack him in the arm. Kyoutani scowls at that. 

“How am I stupid?” He asks, crossing his arms. They continue walking towards the forest. “Because I don't recall doing anything dumb…” Yahaba shifts his jaw, thinking it over. “Unless you're talking about the flower Lord Matsukawa had mentioned.”

“No,” Kyoutani says, and Yahaba is glad to know he at least can say that perfectly. 

“My slip up with him? I almost said your name.”

“No,” Kyoutani says again, though this time with a snicker. Yahaba narrows his eyes, watching where he steps when they get closer to the start of the tree line. 

Clearly that was part of it, if Kyoutani is trying not to laugh. However it's not just about the slip up. “... the… children?”

Kyoutani grunts, and Yahaba thinks that means he doesn't know how to say ‘yes.’

“It's pronounced ‘yes’ if that's what you don't know,” Yahaba states and Kyoutani sends him a dirty look. “So wait, what was wrong with the children? I was just saying hi to them.”

Again Kyoutani grunts, but this time Yahaba turns to glare at him. When he does however, Kyoutani has an odd look on his face - it looks like a pinched smile and his eyes look to be crossed - as he waves his hand, and Yahaba realized he's being mocked. 

“I did _not_ look that stupid!” Yahaba declares, smacking Kyoutani’s shoulder again. “You're terrible!”

“Yes,” Kyoutani says and Yahaba narrows his eyes again; why would he agree that he's terrible? “Yahaba stupid.”

He groans, pushing the palms of his hands into his eyes. Kyoutani gives a low, quiet laugh and Yahaba drags his hands down his cheeks in annoyance. “I hate you…”

Kyoutani grunts another “yes” and Yahaba doesn't even bother responding.

The Dark Forest is just as imposing as it was when they first entered, but for some reason Yahaba feels more at ease now that Kyoutani has his free will. Maybe it's because if something were to attack, he knows Kyoutani will react of his own accord without waiting for a command. Or perhaps it's because this forest is Kyoutani’s home; if either of them knows this place well, it would be the beast. 

“The flower I'm looking for is white with pink hues to it,” Yahaba says, moving carefully through the trees as they start to get closer and the path begins to disappear. “After the storm, it should have blue veins in the petals as well.”

Kyoutani grunts and Yahaba stops to look back at him. His face is closed off, suggesting to Yahaba he doesn't like what he's hearing. 

Yahaba tries to think of how to ask what's wrong in order to get a comprehensive answer. “Is something wrong…?” He starts with, hopeful that Kyoutani will actually be willing to try this method. 

“No flower,” he grunts instead, shaking his head. “ _Acem_... not safe.”

He has no idea what that word means so Yahaba tries to think of the best question to ask him. “Uh… what exactly isn't safe about the flower?”

Kyoutani huffs a groan, shifting his weight around as he scans the damp forest as though in thought. “Flower safe - _acem_ not safe.”

Yahaba blinks at him, and judging by how frustrated Kyoutani seems to get at his reaction, Yahaba must look thoroughly confused. “What’s assem?”

“ _Acem_!” Kyoutani corrects, his voice strained. Yahaba has no idea what he said wrong, but he frowns either way. “Dangerous!”

“I don't know what an… _acem_ is,” Yahaba sighs, shaking his head. “Could you give me more than that…?”

Kyoutani scoffs, shaking his head. “ _Acem_... is _acem_...”

“Repeating the word isn't going to tell me what it is, Kyoutani,” Yahaba snaps, and Kyoutani glares at him. “Is it a creature?”

“Yes,” Kyoutani snaps back, “not safe.”

“And you, a great and powerful beast, are afraid?” Yahaba isn't impressed. It seems to bother Kyoutani - he bristles at the suggestion of being afraid, scowling at Yahaba with a low growl. “If I can guess, this creature is probably just a bear or a wolf since those are the only things known to be in the forest aside from you beasts.”

Kyoutani growls deeper, “no, _acem_ not…” He gives a shout, punching at the tree beside him. Yahaba just watches him, wondering where that calm he was displaying before has gone. 

“Wizards know what's out here, Kyoutani,” Yahaba states, turning to continue through the trees, “if you're too scared of bears and wolves, don't help me!”

He hears a string of nonsensical words follow him, but Kyoutani doesn't move. Yahaba rolls his eyes, moving further into the woods. 

It grows quiet after that. Yahaba had heard a lot about the Dark Forest prior to becoming a top tier wizard, and he's only ever been within the thicket of trees a handful of times since his title change. 

The first time he doesn't remember - that first mission is a blur. 

Yahaba sets his jaw, looking down to his feet to watch where he steps over the tree roots. He may not be familiar with this forest, but he's competent enough to handle some bears or wolves. 

He almost slips on the wet wood of the overgrown roots, but Yahaba catches himself and finally gets back onto solid ground. The grass is wet there, if the cold feeling in his boots is anything to go by, but Yahaba doesn't focus on it too much. The flower is said to grow in the shadows of the trees within the Dark Forest - also occasionally in the Everblack Woods near Karasuno in the late summer, but that's not important now - and that the flower grows best on flat land, between the roots of the great trees. 

He glances around, the twisting roots climbing over and diving down into the soil of the forest floor, but no petals can be seen. Yahaba clicks his tongue, moving slowly around to focus on a different area of roots. The flower isn't small, but it's also no bigger than his fist - he should be able to find it easily enough. 

The name of the flower was an odd one, and he'd spent hours going through Watari’s books until they found what King Oikawa was asking for. A Memoralis is what the king had called it, but a more common name is the “remembrance lily.” Watari’s books detailed the uses of the remembrance lily, but Yahaba had skimmed it, more focused on ensuring he wouldn't kill Kyoutani. 

He does remember the description however, and that storms - especially ones with lightning - will supercharge the flower, giving it odd blue veins, but it also means that the flower itself will be more powerful for any magical purposes. 

Yahaba hopes that's what King Oikawa wants from him; if he wanted a regular remembrance lily, he shouldn't have sent Yahaba out when a storm was approaching. He'd commented on it before Yahaba left, so maybe this is what the king intended. 

He frowns to himself, pausing in his search. King Oikawa is an odd man; he actually wouldn't put it past the king to change his mind once Yahaba returned and decided he didn't want the supercharged flower. Or worse, he'd meant a different flower. 

Sighing, Yahaba throws his head back and looks up to the canopy of the trees. It's perfectly shaded where he's standing, the sunlight barely showing through the thick leaves. He stares up into the dark green foliage before he notices just how dark the shadows are. Gasping, Yahaba straightens and looks around at the roots, a smile pulling at his lips when he finally sees the flowers in question. 

Remembrance lilies are far more beautiful than the drawings in the books give credit. Yahaba hurries over to the roots where the petals stick out from, and he grins at how many there are. The blue veins within the petals look as though they'll burst from how full they appear, but the sight is attractive all the same. He bites his lip, turning to his rucksack to find the proper tools to take the flower without damaging it. 

An odd sound comes from behind him, causing Yahaba to pause. He waits a moment, listening again until the sound returns. It's hard to describe, but when he turns he finds the strangest sight he's ever seen looming over him. 

It looks like a bear, but there's something off about it. It's fur is matted, as though it's been ripped away and the skin underneath has been decaying since. Other areas of the bear’s fur has been singed, burned by something unknown. Like the lily, the bear’s skin has blue veins throughout, only these veins glow and pulse like there's some kind of light within. 

Yahaba blinks once before everything suddenly shifts. He feels a pain through his chest and he falls back, but he's quick to ensure he doesn't fall into the roots where the flowers are. He rolls painfully over the other roots, trying to get away from the bear’s claws as they come down again. He sees his blood on the first paw and doesn't have to check himself to know what the pain means. 

Standing quickly, Yahaba circles around and away from the bear, watching it warily. The pain hasn't settled yet, so Yahaba tries not to focus on it at all. The bear is slow, standing back up to turn messily towards Yahaba, and he finally recognises what's happening. 

The bear is dead. He's only now registering the awful smell of decay, but he's also smelling the burnt flesh of the animal. Based on the matted flesh, this bear had died in a fight with something else, but the burning… it's possible that the bear’s corpse was struck by lightning during the storm. 

It doesn't explain why it's standing now, and attacking Yahaba. 

“ _Acem_ ,” is growled from a place overhead, and Yahaba glances up to find Kyoutani in the branches of the tree. He's glaring down at Yahaba, pointing to the bear like as if Yahaba hasn't noticed it yet.

He frowns, “you mean this is normal?!”

“Storm make _acem_ , stupid Yahaba,” Kyoutani calls down, settling down to sit on the branch, “protect flower.”

Yahaba stares up at him, trying to comprehend what he's saying when the bear charges at him. He focuses back on the bear, jumping back in time to avoid the slash of claws. Yahaba shifts, trying to think of a way to stop the reanimated bear when his skin pulls the wrong way, sending a jolt of pain through his body.

He groans, clutching his chest as he drops down, rolling away from the bear’s next attack and running through all the spells he knows in his head. Yahaba pulls himself up, glancing to Kyoutani for a moment. It's clear the beast won't be assisting him, as he's settled in and watching from above.

Yahaba grinds his teeth, facing the bear and bringing forth a fire spell to try to burn the corpse once and for all. The bear charges forward, but when Yahaba sends the fire out, a pulse of light comes from the veins and an electric pulse appears from the bear’s mouth, encasing the fire ball until it is gone. 

Gaping, Yahaba doesn't have a chance to react when the bear tackles him, roaring it's decaying breath into his face. Pinned to the forest floor, Yahaba gasps for air and winces in pain, trying to think of a spell that counters lightning. 

The bear rears back, one claw raised and ready to attack, and Yahaba pulls his arm free from the other claw, bracing his hands out and forward onto the bear’s chest. 

He feels the pressure before it lifts, pressing against the bear and Yahaba wills his magic to take control of the shifting winds. He pushes forward, conjuring more force until the bear is being lifted from the ground. Yahaba isn't able to breathe from the force of the air pressure around him being focused on the bear, but he watches the bear hover further. 

That's when he shifts his hands, focusing the pressure to the center of the bear’s chest, and the tearing sound of flesh ripping away reaches him just as the air forces its way through the corpse. Through that torn hole, Yahaba watches the electrical currents that were within the bear’s veins flow out of its body, dispersing into nothing as it hits fresh air. 

Yahaba recenters the flow of air to hold the body again, watching it go limp with death before flipping it back and away. The bear’s corpse falls into a heap, unmoving and truly dead once again. 

He pants, finally able to catch his breath as he pulls himself back to his feet. The pain in his chest is far too great, but Yahaba ignores it in favor of glaring up at Kyoutani. “Why didn't you _help_ me?!”

Kyoutani just stares down at him, and it's clear he wasn't impressed. Yahaba waits, glaring right back when Kyoutani pushes away, coming to land on the forest floor beside Yahaba. “Kyoutani told. Yahaba not hear.”

Yahaba just stares at him. “I'm sorry, I don't _speak_ your language. How was I supposed to know that _acem_ means _reanimated corpse_?!”

The response he gets is a blinking stare and a head tilt of confusion. “... bear dead.”

“Yeah, I got that,” Yahaba snaps, crossing his arms. It feels both good and bad to put pressure like this on his chest, but he doesn't take time to worry about it. “I'm asking how you thought I could have figured that out by you saying _acem_ over and over again!”

Kyoutani’s nose curls as his glare grows more intense. “ _Acem_ storm light,” he points towards the sky and Yahaba looks up. 

“... lightning?”

“Light… ning?” Kyoutani asks, trying the word out. He seems satisfied though, because he nods, “ _acem_ lightning by dead bear. Dead wolf. Dead…”

“Animals?” Yahaba asks and Kyoutani grunts. He pieces together what Kyoutani’s broken words were saying and straightens a little. “So… the dead animals are… possessed by lightning?” Kyoutani nods, and Yahaba feels his brows furrow in confusion. “Why?”

“Protect flower,” Kyoutani says, gesturing to the flowers Yahaba had found. “Wizard kill flower. Lightning make flower. Lightning child.”

Yahaba stares down at the flowers, registering what Kyoutani is saying. The lightning technically gave magic to the flower, making it like it's own child. The lightning creates the “acem” in order to protect it.

“King Oikawa asked me to get this flower…”

“Flower remember,” Kyoutani mutters, but Yahaba doesn't know what he means.

“Should I… not take it?”

Kyoutani scoffs, “Yahaba kill _acem_. Yahaba take flower.”

He hesitates, but he nods to what Kyoutani said. “I guess you're right,” he mumbles, moving slowly over to the roots. Yahaba gathers his tools and carefully uproots one of the larger ones, placing it carefully into his bag. Once he's done so however, he feels a sharp tingling sensation shoot from the pain in his chest

Yahaba gasps, clutching at the rip in his shirt. Kyoutani steps over to him, a look of confusion on his face. “Yahaba?”

“It… it hurts,” he manages, and Kyoutani squats beside him, forcefully pulling his hand away to look at the wound.

“Storm light,” Kyoutani grunts and Yahaba glances down to the cut in his chest. 

There's small sparks along the edges of his cut. If Kyoutani is right, this is from lightning. 

“ _Shit_ ,” he groans, panting around the pain as another jolt of electricity shoots through him. Kyoutani puts a hand to his shoulder to keep him in place, but he pulls away to grab Yahaba’s hands when he reaches to hold the pain again. Yahaba feels the burning behind his eyes for the tears that threaten to fall from the pain and he shakes his head at Kyoutani. 

Kyoutani doesn't look at him, though. Instead he looks at the flowers and grabs hold of one rather roughly, tearing it from the ground with a single yank. Yahaba watches, wincing through the pain, as Kyoutani crushes the petals in his hand. 

It turns into a paste of odd liquid and Yahaba wonders what he’ll do with it. He doesn't wonder for long when Kyoutani brings his paste covered hand over and presses it into the cut on Yahaba’s chest. 

Yahaba bites his lip to keep from shouting, but the pain only lasts a second longer. He gasps for air, finally feeling able to breathe and wondering when he had stopped in the first place. 

Kyoutani smears the paste until it's covering the worst of the cut, and Yahaba stares up at him. Kyoutani meets his eyes and they look between one another for a moment. “Th-thank you…?” Yahaba murmurs and Kyoutani simply nods, pulling them both to a stand.

“Dangerous,” he says, pointing in a general direction. “Leave now.”

“Right,” Yahaba agrees, “I have what we came here for. We can go back to the castle now.”

Kyoutani grunts, moving around Yahaba to lead the way out of the Dark Forest.


	4. Delicate

The pain never did quite go away, but it at least is bearable as Yahaba follows Kyoutani back out of the Dark Forest. The tear in his shirt isn't awful either, and with a quick repair spell, Yahaba is able to bring the fabric back together. A small hole remains now, but he figures it's better than walking through the village with a huge rip in his shirt and the wounds showing for all to see. 

Kyoutani waits for him at the edge of the forest, allowing Yahaba to take the lead. He nods to the beast silently, appreciating that he doesn't have to remind Kyoutani of the act they have to put on. 

He takes a deep breath and straightens to his full height, keeping his face stoic so that hopefully no one will stop him to talk. Yahaba needs to get back to his bed chambers and treat his wounds before going to meet his king. 

Yahaba tries not to check on Kyoutani during their walk through the village, and the children don't try to catch his attention this time. He hopes they're not scared of him now, but again that's not the most important thing right now. Yahaba at least hopes Kyoutani isn't the reason they could be scared. 

The gates open as they approach and Yahaba wastes no time walking through to the castle’s front courtyard. He notices some of the high borns glance in his direction, but they quickly look away without interest. That works best for him in this case, sending relief through him. 

Yahaba hurries into the castle and decides to check on Kyoutani before ascending the stairs. Kyoutani is a few paces behind him, and he pauses when Yahaba does. They lock eyes, and Yahaba notes the blank expression. He nods once, for what he's not sure, but Kyoutani doesn't react beyond a slight raise in his eyebrow. 

So he turns back towards the stairs and climbs his way up, Kyoutani following silently. Yahaba looks around himself when they reach the second landing, making sure there was no one who would stop him before he could get to his room. Seeing no one, Yahaba hurries his way to the left towards his chambers. 

Yahaba never felt worthy of the room King Oikawa had given him, knowing the size is a bit too much for a top tier wizard. In fact, based upon the corridor his room came off from, it was meant for a member of the king’s council - the royal court. Yahaba may be the king’s student, but he is most certainly not a member of the royal court. 

He's never really met anyone apart of the court either, aside from Matsukawa, and part of him is glad for it. They were either very old or very stuck up from what he could tell, and neither of those were necessarily something Yahaba considered good. Not that old people were bad, just that they were usually stuck in old ways - like taking the free will away from “lesser beings.”

Occasionally, he does catch sight of Lord Irihata when he returns to Seijou with news for the king. The old man doesn't seem to notice Yahaba much, but if Kyoutani is to be believed, he was among those who wanted Yahaba dead after his first failure. 

Lord Irihata is a stranger to him, an unknown and complete mystery. The only thing Yahaba does know is that Lord Irihata is the chosen representative for the Kingdom of Seijou on the Magic Council. Whatever his personality may be like, Yahaba hasn't a clue. King Oikawa claims Lord Irihata to be like a father - or a grandfather when he's joking around - but Yahaba knows that it's only as a figure and not actually as a relationship. 

Pausing just outside his door, Yahaba wonders about it for a moment. Kyoutani said that they had planned to do away with Yahaba, but he didn't say whether the entire council wanted him dead or just some of them. He could see maybe Shiratorizawa’s Magic Council members fighting for that option - the Kingdom of Shiratorizawa is said to be cold and ruthless due to their ice souls, but Yahaba isn't so sure if that's true or if it's just King Oikawa’s interpretation of them since their king has a bit of a… difficult relationship with his king. 

Shaking his head, Yahaba pushes open his chamber doors and looks on with guilt and unworthiness at the grand room. The ceiling is high like any part of the castle, with drapes hanging in the tall windows to shut out the light. There's a water basin for his washing off to the side, allowing for him to bathe in privacy rather than join others in a public bath. The mirrors in the room are covered with magic cancelling curtains, to allow for continued privacy in case someone decides to call him, and the wardrobe is bigger than he has a need for. The bed itself is so large he could lay spread out in the center and still have room to sprawl around, and the bedding itself is soft to the touch, just heavy enough to protect him from the cold air of the early autumn nights. At the entrance, there's a seating area with some bookshelves for Yahaba to do his research and practice his spells, or maybe eat his meals if he doesn't want to be bothered by other members of the castle residencies. 

Currently, that same table is occupied by the last people he expected to be waiting for him within the room itself. 

“A hand of Royals,” King Oikawa says, proudly displaying his hand to Matsukawa, “as well as a Beast Wild Card, which I will make into an additional Royal, making that _six_ in total!”

Matsukawa hums at the flourish of cards, raising a brow over the top of his own unknown hand. “So that's where all the Royal cards went…”

The king puffs his chest, crossing his arms in triumph. “I doubt you'll be able to beat _that_ , Mattsun!”

“Hand of Death with additional Elder,” Matsukawa says, placing his hand on the table, much to King Oikawa’s shock. “Which an Elder among Death just means he's heading to an early grave, so—”

“ _I hate you_!” The king cries, smacking his hands down onto the table, rattling the glasses of wine on the surface. “You're stacking the deck! How do you keep winning?!”

“I advise you to not act like such a sore loser,” Matsukawa yawns, pointing to the side towards Yahaba, “at least not in front of your precious student.”

King Oikawa whips around at that, gaping over at Yahaba. Yahaba just stares back, completely frozen in place at the sight of his king. The King of Seijou is a very handsome man, and it’s a wonder how he has yet to take a queen despite it being only a year since his coronation. Women of all sorts daydream of becoming his queen, from the high borns to the young maidens in the lower parts of the village - it’s even said women from the other kingdoms are charmed by his good looks. King Oikawa’s hair is a deep rich brown of waved curls, and his eyes match that color, shining with the power of his magic he holds within himself. Yahaba always feel so small next to this man, and when he first began to feel for magic with his own, he was blown away from how much naturally exudes from Oikawa’s being, even when he means to conceal it - which could only mean that there was so much power within him that he simply cannot hide it all.

Behind him, he hears Kyoutani shift his weight around, closing the chamber’s door and pausing until he decides to move into the room, going around Yahaba and making his way over to another part of the room - right where Yahaba used to ask him to stand when he had no free will. He watches him go for a second, surprised Kyoutani remembers that much from that time, but he blinks once and turns back to his king, bowing at his waist. 

“Your grace, I wasn't expecting to see you here,” Yahaba admits, waiting for King Oikawa’s gesture to stand straight again. His king stands from his chair, his fancy clothing flowing around him and shimmering from the golden thread in the lighted candles of Yahaba’s room. He comes to stand before Yahaba, his hand waving Yahaba back up from his stance of bowing. He follows the silent command, looking King Oikawa in the eye and smiling. “What can I do for you, King Oikawa?”

The king smiles back, shaking his head with a soft chuckle. “Drop the formalities, Yahaba - it’s only us and Mattsun, after all,” he says, and Yahaba nods once. “How was the Dark Forest? Any trouble?” Yahaba opens his mouth to respond but Oikawa scoffs with confidence, “I'm sure there wasn't any, I've taught you well after all!”

He pulls his rucksack around, reaching in to extract the flower carefully. “I was able to find the Memoralis, Ki—O-Oikawa… but there was some trouble, unfortunately.”

King Oikawa hums, reaching out to take the flower carefully and look it over for damage. “It looks well handled - wonderful job, Yahaba,” he says, smiling to his student before turning back to the table. With a brief wave of his hand, the king is able to change one of the cups into a pot, the wine disappearing all together. He places the flower into the pot, plucking a small piece of dirt still attached to the roots in order to sprinkle it, his magic dispersing it out and creating more as though the small piece was only the start to an infinite amount of soil. Oikawa turns back to his student, a little smile on his lips. “What troubles did you run into?”

Yahaba frowns, and Oikawa’s brow raises in question, his head tilting the side in bemusement. “I… wasn't aware of what the lightning could do to the corpse of an animal…”

Oikawa hesitates before relaxing again, a click of his tongue his only response as he checks Yahaba over. “I see,” he mumbles, reaching forward to poke at the small hole in Yahaba’s shirt he wasn't able to repair. With a wave of his hand, Oikawa undoes the magic that brought the thread together, reopening the tear and exposing the wound. He hisses in sympathy, and behind him, Matsukawa whistles lowly in amazement. “That doesn't look too good - by the size of it, I take it the lightning possessed a bear?”

“It did, your grace—”

“Formalities, Yahaba. Drop them,” Oikawa quickly cuts in, and Yahaba nods once more, unable to look his king in the eyes. “It looks like you used the Memoralis to your advantage, but it needs to be dressed properly to heal well,” he continues on, glancing about the room until he spots Kyoutani quietly standing in the corner. “Sixteen, bring us some bandages and any other medical supplies Yahaba may have in his room,” he commands, but Kyoutani doesn't move. 

Matsukawa huffs a laugh, “looks like something's wrong with your beast, Yahaba…” He smirks over at Yahaba, and he feels his body go cold at the suggestion. 

Yahaba turns towards Kyoutani with a stern look on his face, but desperate eyes that he hopes Kyoutani notices. “‘Sixteen,’ do as the king asks of you, please,” he says, and Kyoutani doesn't hesitate to follow his orders. He bites his lip, reminding himself to apologise later when he's alone with the beast. 

Oikawa hums to himself and Yahaba turns back in worry. “Bit odd that he didn't listen,” he murmurs, but he smiles all the same, “but I think I get it. Four only listens to me after all, so if anything, you must have told Sixteen to only listen to you, right?”

He doesn't want to lie to the king, but Yahaba doesn't have a choice. “Oh… well not exactly,” he hesitates, trying to think of an excuse, “I guess… I did tell him about manners?”

This makes the king’s brows raise in amusement. “Manners?”

“Yes, and well,” Yahaba glances to the beast, watching him dig through drawers to find the right medicine, “he only listens if you ask him nicely now.”

There's a beat of silence before Oikawa and Matsukawa both bust out in laughter. Yahaba’s face burns and he avoids their eyes, in favor of watching Kyoutani pause and look back for a second with a look of disgust on his face. 

“That's so sweet of you, Yahaba,” Oikawa manages, catching his breath and grinning. “You're far too good to your beast - maybe I should have you command Four, he deserves better than me.”

Yahaba shakes his head, “oh no, ‘Four’ is your beast and I wouldn't take him from you.”

“Besides,” Matsukawa starts, “they don't exactly care, now do they?”

Yahaba swallows, unwilling to respond to that. Oikawa frowns, turning to Matsukawa with a shake of his head. “If Yahaba wants to treat beasts fairly, then he should. Maybe I should take note of my student’s actions,” now he turns back to Yahaba, a small smile on his lips, “Gods know Four is far too good for me to treat like some common slave.”

He gapes up at his king, surprised to hear his take on the beasts to be rather similar to his own. Instead of continuing the conversation where it is, too afraid that he might bite off more than he can chew, Yahaba looks around the room and notes the absence of the beast in question. “Where is ‘Four,’ Oikawa?”

“Out beating up knights I imagine,” Oikawa shrugs and Yahaba blanches at this. “I told him to go train with the knights to keep him well prepared should I ever need to go anywhere. I think Four was getting a bit chubby is all,” he chuckles again, shaking his head. “Four is still very strong, but he needs to keep light on his feet if I'm sure to be protected.”

Yahaba frowns, “but do you really need him to protect you? You're the strongest wizard in Seijou.”

“Strength in magic and strength in fighting are two different concepts,” Oikawa says, holding a finger up to Yahaba as though he's departing wisdom. “Just because I'm more than capable of casting spells doesn't mean I'd be able to fight off anything that tries to physically harm me.” He considers this a moment, nodding a little. “Well, maybe for a moment I could fight them off bare handed, but a beast is far stronger than I am, and Four is one of the strongest beasts I've ever seen.”

Kyoutani comes forward then, presenting to Oikawa the bandages and medicine to treat Yahaba’s wounds. He smiles politely to the beast, taking the items carefully. Yahaba looks at Kyoutani, hopeful he can see the apology in his eyes. “Thank you, ‘Sixteen.’”

“Yes, thank you indeed,” Oikawa echoes, but Kyoutani has already turned away to stand back in his corner. Yahaba screams at him internally, but Oikawa only laughs again. “Strange beast, but then again, Four is like that too.”

Yahaba breathes a sigh of relief, awkwardly smiling to his king when the man gestures him over to the table. He follows, sitting down across from Matsukawa who's watching him with lidded eyes and raised brows. 

“So, has Sixteen listened to your every command?” Matsukawa asks, and Yahaba frowns over at him, removing the ruined shirt at Oikawa's request. 

“Of course he has,” Oikawa scoffs, looking through the creams Kyoutani had given him with narrowed eyes, reading the small labels. “Beasts have to obey us once they're tamed.”

Yahaba nods, choosing to remain silent. Matsukawa hums, leaning forward to prop his chin in his hand. “I meant, now that he only follows polite orders, does he listen when you don't have time for manners?” Yahaba doesn't know how to answer, and Oikawa is now looking at him in wonder. “I mean, you got hurt by the lightning’s possessed bear, but while fighting it, did Sixteen at least protect you on your command without the need for ‘please’?”

He gulps, looking over to Kyoutani. “He… protected me, but I told him to stay back,” Yahaba lies, turning back to the king and his hand, “because I didn't want him to get hurt.”

Oikawa seems satisfied by the answer, going through the medical stuff until he finds what he's looking for, bending forward in order to apply the ointment to Yahaba’s chest. 

Matsukawa still doesn't look convinced. “Why worry about that? Look at him, he's covered in scars already—”

“Mattsun, that's enough,” Oikawa snaps, glaring at his hand. “Just because Yahaba has compassion for his beast doesn't mean he's lying to you, so knock it off.”

The Hand of the King nods, straightening in his seat before he stands with a small bow. “I overstepped my boundaries; my apologies your grace, I'll take my leave now.”

Oikawa waves him away, turning back to Yahaba to focus on dressing him wounds with a renewed focus. Matsukawa nods to Yahaba, turning to the door and seeing himself out. 

It's quiet once he's gone, Oikawa focused on applying just enough ointment to ensure the wound heals properly. Yahaba watches him, glancing to Kyoutani with a frown. 

The beast sends him a brief look of confusion, uncertain of what had happened. 

“Oikawa,” Yahaba murmurs, and his king nods for him to speak, “it was alright, I wasn't offended…”

“Mattsun picks on you too much,” Oikawa grumbles, taking the ruined shirt to wipe his hands on the cloth. He looks Yahaba in the eye, shaking his head. “Just because he's my hand doesn't mean you should let him treat you that way, Yahaba. You're my student, not just a first rank top tier.”

Yahaba nods, but he doesn't smile. “Oikawa, it really doesn't bother me—”

“Well it bothers me!” Oikawa snaps, standing straight. “My student shouldn't be treated like this, in fact, you should be given praise! Look at how far you've come,” he says, gesturing towards the walls of the castle and out into the village, “you were a commoner with so much potential! Now look at you, a top tier wizard, and you're still growing!”

“That's because of you,” Yahaba mumbles and shakes his head. “You took me in and taught me.”

Oikawa puts his hands to his hips, shaking his head. “Yahaba, I didn't take you in for the hell of it; I could tell you had great power within, you just needed someone to show you how to use it. Everything else you did, you did it on your own.”

Yahaba decides to not argue with his king from here - he wasn't necessarily wrong, but Yahaba still doesn't like to take credit from him king for the successes he'd opened up for Yahaba to achieve. 

Oikawa shifts his weight from one foot to the other, sniffling a second before he glances to the candle of hours. “Shit, is it getting that late? I should collect Four - Gods know he's probably still trying to fight the knights.” The king turns to Kyoutani, and gestures to Yahaba. “Sixteen, please help to ensure Yahaba dresses his wounds properly.” Kyoutani doesn't budge, but Oikawa doesn't seem to take that to mean he won't. So he turns to Yahaba and smiles, “tell me about your battle with the lightning’s bear - and bring the Memoralis with you when you come to my chambers later.” He side glances to Kyoutani, a frown on his lips. “Leave Sixteen behind; Four has been… territorial lately, and I'm not sure what I said to make him that way.”

Yahaba nods, understanding. “Thank you, your grace.”

Oikawa smiles again, nodding to him. “Be well, I'll send for you later.”

He turns then, and sees himself out.

Yahaba stares at the door, blinking once or twice until Kyoutani shuffles over to him. “Yahaba… hurt?” He turns to look up at Kyoutani, surprised to see him kneeling to get closer to Yahaba. 

He gulps, gesturing the ointment on his chest. “This should heal the wounds up in no time and there shouldn't be any scars.”

Kyoutani frowns, turning his gaze up to meet Yahaba’s. “Scar bad?”

“Not necessarily,” Yahaba says, but he's not sure he believes that. He doesn't want scars considering he could never look like some amazing warrior. Kyoutani on the other hand, “you're a warrior, I'd be surprised if you didn't have any scars.”

The beast nods, standing to grab the bandages and the other chair, pulling it over to sit directly in front of Yahaba. As he unravels the bandages, he glares at the fresh wounds as though they had done something terrible. “Yahaba no scar.”

He's not totally sure what Kyoutani means, but Yahaba nods anyway. “I don't have any - wouldn't look good on me,” he laughs at the poor joke, but Kyoutani's frown seems to deepen. “Scars suit you, though. Really… tells someone you're strong.”

Kyoutani shakes his head, glancing to the flower. “Yahaba delicate. Soft… Flower.”

Yahaba feels his face burn, but he doesn't take it as a compliment. “Are you calling me weak?”

“No,” Kyoutani growls out, glaring at him before leaning in, beginning to wrap the bandages. “Yahaba not weak. Yahaba… strong. Strong, delicate Yahaba.”

He stares at Kyoutani, watching him as he winds the bandage around his chest. “If I'm so delicate, why didn't you help me?”

“Yahaba strong,” Kyoutani grunts, “Yahaba no need Kyoutani.”

“Yeah, but if I'm so delicate—”

Kyoutani growls, sitting back and letting part of the bandages fall away to slam his fist into the table. “Yahaba strong! Yahaba no need Kyoutani.”

“Well I'm stuck with you,” Yahaba huffs, reaching up to fix the bandages, “so try helping me for once until we figure out a way for you to be free.”

Yahaba feels Kyoutani watch him struggle with the bandages before he reaches forward, his claws gently gliding over Yahaba’s arm when he grabs hold of it to pull it away. “Yahaba… need Kyoutani?”

“Not really,” Yahaba grumbles, letting Kyoutani continue wrapping his wounds. “But… help me where you can, okay?”

“Yahaba… want Kyoutani?”

His face feels on fire once again and Yahaba coughs. “I… don't physically want you…?”

Kyoutani pauses, his gaze slowly dragging up Yahaba’s body to look him in the eye. “Physically…?” He jerks back, the bandages not falling away as much now. “ _No claim_ ,” Kyoutani snaps, and Yahaba notices the red in his ears and the pink of his neck. He's not sure what Kyoutani means by claim, but he can only assume it means something… physical. “Only protect. Keep safe.”

“Okay,” Yahaba nods, uncertain of what exactly they were misunderstanding one another about. “You can protect me.”

Kyoutani grunts, nodding as he goes back to the bandages and tying it off. Yahaba watches him work, amazed at the way he carefully keeps his claws from cutting Yahaba, and how gentle he is about keeping the bandages from being too tight. 

Yahaba breathes in, taking in the scent of Kyoutani and finding himself amazed that he didn't have a terrible stench about him. In fact, Yahaba would argue Kyoutani smelled pleasant - like the forest after a storm. Of course that would make sense; they were just there. However, something tells Yahaba he's been smelling this from Kyoutani for some time now. 

He avoids the beast’s eyes when Kyoutani finally looks up, nodding to the bandages. 

“Thank you,” Yahaba whispers, “and sorry for the orders.”

Kyoutani just shakes his head.


	5. Memoralis

Yahaba gives Kyoutani a book with pictures to flip through, hopeful it will keep him distracted. While he went to change his clothes on the other side of the room, he noticed Kyoutani push the book aside in favor of the playing cards the king and his hand had left. He held back a laugh when Kyoutani attempted to shuffle them and the cards went everywhere. 

“While I'm gone, don't answer the door for anyone,” Yahaba says, wincing at his choice of words. Kyoutani however just grunts and nods, picking up the cards. Yahaba crosses the room to stand beside the table to help him. “Well… at least avoid it if you can.”

Kyoutani shrugs, placing the deck on the table and glaring at it. “Yes. Kyoutani do nothing.”

Yahaba bites his lip, trying to think of something Kyoutani could do. “I… could ask Watari to come visit?”

“... yes,” Kyoutani answers, but he doesn't sound sure of that. 

“You… don't have to agree, you know.”

“Yes, no,” his nose scrunches at the words, “... Kyoutani not know.”

Yahaba chuckles, making Kyoutani glare at him. “It's ‘maybe’ if you're not sure,” he explains, and Kyoutani shrugs. “Watari might be too busy if Mizoguchi wanted him, so he might not come.”

Kyoutani grunts again, leaning back in the chair and crossing his arms. Yahaba watches him a moment, trying to think of something to say when a knock sounds from the door. 

“Sir, the king requests your presence,” a distant voice calls, and Yahaba turns towards the entrance. 

“Yes, thank you!” Yahaba calls back, and he waits before looking back to Kyoutani. “I'll… stop by Watari’s room and see if he can come by. If he doesn't then I guess you're on your own until I come back.”

Yahaba grabs his rucksack, carefully placing the potted plant into the bag and ensuring it won't fumble and fall inside the magic pocket. As he moves towards the exit, he pauses and looks back to Kyoutani. 

The beast is watching him, his face blank and body relaxed in the chair. His eyebrow raises in question when Yahaba just looks at him. “Yahaba?”

“Don't break anything,” Yahaba settles on saying, cringing inwardly at how presumptive it sounds. Kyoutani narrows his eyes, and without breaking eye contact, he reaches over and knocks the other wine glass from the table. It shatters on the ground instantly. Yahaba frowns, “you know you have to clean that up now, don't you?” He sighs when Kyoutani just rolls his eyes and scoffs, but he smiles when Kyoutani gets up to clean up the glass. “I can repair it later, just please don't break anything else.”

“Maybe,” Kyoutani replies and Yahaba shakes his head, turning to walk out the door of his chambers. 

The door closes behind him and Yahaba takes a deep breath to remain calm. He looks around the corridor for the servant who Oikawa sent and finds no one, relieved for just a moment. 

Watari’s room is sort of in the direction of the king’s, so Yahaba turns to go further down the corridor. Technically he's not heading to the king by going this way, but the castle corridors usually loop if you know which passages to take - he'll get to the king eventually. 

He turns quickly at the end of the hall and crashes into another, jostling him back. Yahaba steadies himself, quickly checking the plant in his bag; it's safe. Breathing easy, Yahaba looks up to who he crashed into. 

Kindaichi smiles back at him. “Sorry about that, Yahaba; I was in a hurry and didn't check where I was going.”

Yahaba feels an easy smile form on his lips. “No worries, Kindaichi. How are you?”

“Oh, I'm… adjusting,” Kindaichi grimaces. Yahaba frowns now, waiting for him to elaborate. “It's just a little weird to actually be in the castle, you know?”

He does. Kindaichi came from the outer villages like Yahaba did, but his transition from village to castle has only been recent. Every few years, members of the royal court take on a student to teach and hopefully raise up to become a top tier wizard - usually to replace them when they retire - and this year Kindaichi was hand picked by his teacher to become a student. 

His teacher is Matsukawa, the Hand of the King. 

While Matsukawa usually sent mixed signals to Yahaba, Kindaichi wasn't anything like his teacher. He was kind and straightforward with Yahaba, and he didn't give Yahaba off putting vibes. Sure, Matsukawa could be kind and reassure Yahaba of everything he's ever done, he also had the tendency to make Yahaba feel very low and unworthy. 

Then again, that could just be Yahaba’s own feelings of uselessness being projected into Matsukawa’s teasing. 

“Yeah, I remember that feeling,” Yahaba says, shaking his head. “When King Oikawa first asked me to come to the castle to learn from him, I was so excited. But then I saw the castle up close and my first thought was ‘I’m going to get so lost in here,’” he laughs, “and then I did.”

Kindaichi laughs, but it seems forced. “That uh… that's very true…”

Yahaba pauses, raising a brow. “... are you lost, Kindaichi?”

“Yes,” Kindaichi mumbles, his shoulders slumping. “Lord Matsukawa had me meet with him just now but I can't seem to find my way back to my own room…”

Smiling, Yahaba gestures to where he just came from. “The stairs to the first floor are that way,” he answers and Kindaichi seems to light up. 

“That helps a lot! Thanks so much, Yahaba,” he says, waving as he moves around him. “Have a good night!”

Yahaba waves back, smiling softly. “You too,” he murmurs and watches him leave. 

He's grateful Kindaichi didn't ask him where he was going; everyone knows the king’s chambers are on the third floor rather than the second.

He continues on his way to Watari’s, glancing around the corridor as he goes. There were intricate paintings along the walls, some moving and some not. Painting magic was a tricky thing to master, and very few could say they had the talent for it. Yahaba had tried once - Oikawa had laughed for hours after the horrible image began to move and it was clear Yahaba didn't have the talent. 

Watari’s room was tucked away in a corner, and Yahaba always hated visiting. It didn't seem fair that he was treated as a royal court member while Watari was given a small room out of the way of everyone else. He at least is an apprentice, for sure being trained to take the role of one of the royal court members one day. 

Yahaba comes to a stop at the door, knocking lightly against the wooden surface. He waits, not even sure if Watari is within his chambers. 

The door opens a moment later, Watari’s face looking exhausted. “Dear Gods, what is it now?”

He frowns at that, narrowing his eyes. “Wow. Nevermind, I'll just—”

“Oh, Yahaba!” Watari perks up, rubbing at his eyes. “Sorry, my eyes are all blurry from earlier with Mizoguchi - I messed up the potion and I'm still paying the price…”

Yahaba scrutinises his friend, looking away for a moment to think about it. “Wait, who did you think I was?”

Watari groans, “there's this top tier from Karasuno visiting and he keeps asking me for advice. It's really getting annoying…”

“Karasuno? Why’s a top tier from Karasuno here?” Yahaba asks, but he shakes his head. “I don't actually care to be honest. I came here to ask if you could keep… ‘Sixteen’ company.”

Watari scoffs, crossing his arms but he isn't able to keep focus on Yahaba himself. “Why would he need company? He's a beast…”

Yahaba knows Watari is just trying to play along, but he still winces. “I just feel bad. I know he doesn't care but the king asked for me and I couldn't bring him along.”

“Why not?”

“I guess ‘Four’ is territorial lately. The king doesn't know what he told him to make him like that, but he told me not to bring ‘Sixteen.’”

Watari frowns, blinking in confusion. “Well… okay then; I can sort of see, so maybe I can play cards with him or something.”

Yahaba smiles to his friend, placing a hand to his shoulder. Watari turns towards him properly now, knowing exactly where Yahaba currently is. “Thank you for this; also uh… how long until you can see?”

He shrugs in response. “Mizoguchi told me it should be another hour or so.”

Yahaba nods back, releasing his shoulder. “Um… do you need help getting to my room?”

“No, I'm just fine,” Watari sniffles, standing a little straighter. “Now go to the king, he's waiting for you.”

Yahaba nods again, backing away and waving to Watari. “I'll be back soon!”

“Yeah yeah, whatever…”

He turns to watch where he's heading, and Yahaba makes his way down another corridor to find his way to the back staircase to the third floor. 

Eventually he makes it to the double door entrance of Oikawa’s chambers and Yahaba pauses outside of them. He's not sure how long it took him to get there, but he hopes he didn't keep the king waiting too long.

Knocking quickly, he waits and looks around the wide hall at the paintings there. Directly across the way is a painting of Oikawa himself, looking as grand and majestic as the real deal. He winks at Yahaba before returning to his pose and Yahaba rolls his eyes. The kings of the past just had regular paintings done of them - leave it to his king to be the among the few to get a magical one. 

The doors open and Yahaba turns back, finding that the doors were opened by ‘Four.’ The beast is intimidating even though he isn't as tall as Yahaba. 

‘Four’ is a young beast with broad shoulders, messy and spiked black hair, and burning hazel eyes. His animalistic features are just like Kyoutani’s - pointed ears, slit pupils, claws on his hands and sharp pointed teeth - but ‘Four’ had the added features of odd markings around his face. They looked to be tattoos, but they were oddly regal around the edges of ‘Four’s face. There were other markings down his arms, and Yahaba knows the beast is strong just by looking at his muscular frame. 

Beasts were unnaturally strong regardless of their musculature, but ‘Four’ clearly didn't have to convince anyone of his strength. 

His armor is as simple as Kyoutani’s, only ‘Four’ has cloth covering his chest and throat. According to the research on beasts Yahaba has read before, beasts will sometimes wear something to cover certain areas of their body if they have a particularly shameful scar from a lost battle or if the wound never healed right. He doesn't know what ‘Four’s clothes could possibly say about him, but there is no way he would have lost any battle. 

‘Four’ doesn't look like he's expressing anything necessarily, but his brows are knitted in a permanent scowl and Yahaba gets the feeling he's being glared at. He hesitates, uncertain of what to do with the beast standing in his way, until ‘Four’ steps aside, letting him into the king’s bedchambers. Yahaba takes a slow step forward, watching ‘Four’ with worry. The doors shut behind him then, and he watches ‘Four’ move away from the double door entrance. 

The bedchambers of the king are large - they took up an entire section of the third floor and it was all for the room itself to be separated into smaller areas. The bed itself is further into the room behind walls, with curtains separating the entrance from the main room, and Yahaba has never seen the bed. Another separated part of the area leads to the washing basin, though Yahaba believes it has a tub of its own for the king to sit and relax in the warm water. The amount of privacy King Oikawa’s room has on top of being separate from the rest of the castle is almost ridiculous. 

King Oikawa himself is standing within the main part of the room over a large table, looking down with a focused gaze. He doesn't glance up to look at Yahaba, reaching over to move a figure from one spot on the table to another. As Yahaba steps closer, he notices that the table is in the shape of their country, with small grooves in the wooden surface to display the landscapes of their different kingdoms. 

At the space furthest from Oikawa, the northern section of the country is painted white - the Frozen North has its name for a reason - and in the peninsula of the winter biome stands the figure of a castle to denote the capital of the Kingdom of Nekoma. There were smaller, cat looking figures to represent their troops spread out over the Frozen North, but Yahaba swept his eyes past them to go south on the map. Attached to the peninsula is a small island, sitting between the Kingdom of Nekoma’s land and the rest of the country. Yahaba knows it only as the Isle of Iron. 

The next kingdom on the map is Karasuno, the dark green painting meant to represent the Everblack Woods that surrounds the castle figure. Crows represent their troops, and they too are spread over the mixture of cold snow and black woods. Just south of them and to the west, the Kingdom of Fukurodani can be found, it's castle surrounded in colors of orange and red - the Lands of Autumn.

Fukurodani’s troops are represented through owls, and there is at least one in Karasuno at the moment. Yahaba frowns at that, but he moves closer to where Oikawa is and where the map is in lighter hues of green. 

A tall, glittering figure with no real shape sits between Fukurodani and the kingdom in the east - Seijou - and Yahaba briefly pauses to look at it. That's where the Magic Council meets, right in the center of the map.

There's no markings of the wintery north in the center of the map, especially around Fukurodani in the Lands of Autumn, and to the east there stands the figure representing the Kingdom of Seijou - the Dark Forest painted in slightly darker hues and figures of knights representing their troops among the area. Within the forest there is a cluster of monstrous figures, and he guesses they are meant to be the beasts. Yahaba isn't sure if his king actually has information on their locations, as they aren't spread out over the forest. 

There is a single crow standing beside the castle for Seijou, confirming what Watari had told him about a top tier from Karasuno visiting, but it also looks like a cat and owl figure is close to reaching Seijou as well. 

The tallest area of the table is south of Seijou, yellow markers for the trading cities in the mountains sitting up among the highest point. Further south and at the end of the table past Oikawa is flat lands, painted in a light tan colour to represent the Sun Blessed Desert, and right in the center is the fifth kingdom’s castle - Shiratorizawa. Eagles sit in close proximity to Shiratorizawa, and it doesn't appear that anyone is coming to Seijou from their end.

He waits for Oikawa to say something, but the king remains focused on the map for quite some time. He’s sure how long they stand there, and Yahaba glances around the map, trying to figure out what Oikawa’s looking at. It appears to him that the king has conjured a little black cloud to hang over the southern half of Seijou’s kingdom, but for what purpose he’s not sure.

“Is something happening?” Yahaba quietly asks, Oikawa jerking a little as though he hadn’t noticed Yahaba come stand beside him. “There's a crow in Seijou, and it looks like a cat and an owl are on their way.”

“Matters of war do not pertain to my students,” Oikawa mumbles, standing straight. He's still looking down at the map, particularly at the small cloud he has created with magic. “Don't worry about that,” Oikawa snaps his gaze over to Yahaba with a grin on his lips, and his silent demeanor drops completely. “Did you bring the flower?”

Yahaba stares at him for a moment before he nods, reaching into his bag to pull out the flower. It looks as though it's still in tact, and the soil in the pot hasn't shifted. “Why did I need to get a Memoralis…?”

Oikawa takes the potted plant and sets it down onto the table, dispersing the dark cloud as though it hadn't been there. The flower looks healthy despite all the movement today, and Yahaba stares at it with Oikawa, who's gently petting the petals. 

“What do you know about Memoralis, Yahaba?”

He hesitates, thinking this might be a test and growing nervous. Yahaba takes a deep breath and tells Oikawa what he remembers reading; “The Memoralis, also know as the remembrance lily, is a flower used in magical potion making for patients who have bad dreams while in recovery from battles. It makes them dream their happiest memories. It can be found in the Dark Forest, in the shade of trees and on flat ground, within the roots of the trees. It can also be found in the Everblack Woods during late summer. Lightning can supercharge it to make it’s magical effects even great, giving it the blue vein-like appearance, but the lightning also possesses the corpses of animals to protect it from harm.”

Oikawa hums, nodding as he scratches his jaw. “Very good. Other than give patients good dreams, what else can it do?”

Yahaba frowns, trying to think back. The only thing he remembers from his research is what he's told Oikawa - outside of that, he can only think of how he freed Kyoutani. “I'm… not sure?”

“Ah, you were slacking then,” Oikawa mumbles, shaking his head. “Tell me, what did I ask of you regarding the flower?”

Yahaba’s shoulders slump. “You asked me to learn everything about a Memoralis and then bring one to you.”

“And what did you do?”

“... I brought one to you,” Yahaba gestures to the flower, but he knows he skipped a step. 

Oikawa smiles and shakes his head. “Do you know what I'm about to ask you to do?”

Yahaba sighs, staring down at the map the flower sits on. “More research…?”

“ _Bingo_ ,” Oikawa says, pointing a finger at Yahaba and winking. Yahaba groans, and Oikawa shakes his head. “Yahaba, how will you learn if I don't have you look into things yourself?”

“Why can't you just tell me what I'm meant to do exactly?” Yahaba asks, throwing his hands in the air. “I feel like this is all leading up to nothing but to understand the flower, but I can't figure out why or what I'm going to be doing.”

Oikawa crosses his arms and clicks his tongue three times, shaking his head with each click. “Yahaba, that will also take away from your learning.”

“But it would make me more interested into figuring out what you want me to do if I know what I might be trying to find in all the research,” Yahaba argues, crossing his arms as well. “Don't you think that might help?”

The king considers it for a moment, glancing to the side where his beast stands against the wall. “Hm… I suppose you're right,” Oikawa mutters and Yahaba grins. “I'm going to take care of the flower for you to ensure it keeps the lightning’s power, but in the meantime continue your research.”

Yahaba nods, dropping his arms. “And what am I going to do once I've researched everything?”

“You're going to make a potion for me,” Oikawa stares, smiling. “What kind though I won't say until you can tell me everything about the flower and everything the flower is used for. _Everything_.”

It's better than not knowing in Yahaba’s opinion, so he nods vigorously and smiles at his king. “Thank you, your grace!”

“Formalities, Yahaba,” Oikawa waves a hand, but he smiles anyway. “You're dismissed. Enjoy the rest of your night.”

“I will,” Yahaba bows a little and stands straight again, “you enjoy your night as well.”

Oikawa’s eyes shift very quickly to the side and Yahaba blinks, thinking he imagined it. “Oh, I will.”

His voice sounds odd, but Yahaba doesn't question it. Oikawa himself is odd, so Yahaba waves to him, turning towards the door. ‘Four’s permanent glare is trained on the king, and Yahaba avoids looking at the beast - it's not like the beast himself is actually meaning to glare. 

The doors shut quietly behind him and Yahaba doesn't hesitate to hurry down the corridor to return to the second floor. It's much faster now that he doesn't stop off at Watari’s, and he makes it back to his room soon after. 

Yahaba bursts into his room and pauses at what he finds. Quickly, he shuts his door and turns to look at the table, gaping at the two men sitting across one another.

Watari is glaring at Kyoutani shaking his head. “Don't lie to me! I know I have a black diamond card!”

“Blue star,” Kyoutani says, a grin on his face as he points to the card on the table. It's a red heart, specifically a Royal, with the Kingdom of Nekoma’s king sitting within the card’s image. “Birth card.”

“Stop saying that! It's a black diamond Elder!” Watari shouts and Yahaba moves over to them.

“He's lying and you're wrong,” Yahaba says simply, grabbing the card in question. “It's a red heart Royal card.”

Watari gawks at him before he rounds on Kyoutani. “You lying little—”

“Kyoutani never win,” the beast mumbles, falling back in the chair. “Win many time with Watari…”

Yahaba rolls his eyes, “Kyoutani, just because he can't see doesn't mean you can lie to him in order to win. That's cheating.” Yahaba considers what they had been originally arguing about and looks between them. “What were you playing anyway?”

Watari looks up to Yahaba, and it seems he can see a little better now because he's actually looking up at Yahaba. His eyes still look unfocused though. “Battle; I figured that's the game you taught him when I asked what he has played and he described the game.”

Battle is a complicated game, but if you take out some of the rules it can be extremely simple. “Yeah, but I only played the version that's simple. It sounded like you were playing with all the rules that involve the suits.”

Watari frowns and looks to Kyoutani. “Oh, is that why you sounded frustrated? Sorry Kyoutani, I thought you knew the full game of Battle.”

Kyoutani glares at him and scoffs. “Stupid Yahaba…”

“Why am _I_ stupid?!”

Watari laughs and grabs up the cards to put them back into the deck. “So what did the king want with the Memoralis?”

“I guess I'm making a potion,” Yahaba says, taking the deck to fix the cards Watari didn't put in facing the same way as the rest. “But first I have to finish my research… how do you handle this stuff, Watari?”

“I just like learning about potions,” Watari shrugs, “it's cool to know what makes what as an apothecary.”

Yahaba hums, shuffling the cards quickly. Kyoutani watches him intently, and Yahaba smiles at him. “I wasn't gone too long I think; how were your games against Watari?”

“Lost,” Kyoutani admits and Watari nods happily.

“Well, at least until he started lying,” Watari narrows his eyes at Kyoutani and Yahaba laughs. 

Yahaba places the freshly shuffled deck onto the table and grabs the third chair, sitting down beside Kyoutani. “Here, we'll play again, only this time I won't let him lie to Watari and I'll help Kyoutani figure out how best to play his cards.”

Watari pushes his chair out, hands in the air. “I'm out - Yahaba plays dirty.”

“What? No, I don't.”

“Yeah, you do,” Watari narrows his eyes again and Yahaba thinks maybe he's just trying to see them clearly. “I'm tired anyway, and my eyes hurt, so I'm going to bed.”

“The sun is barely setting,” Yahaba argues, gesturing to the window. He sighs anyway, and watches Watari stand. “Okay fine, I'll just play against Kyoutani and teach him how to play so when you're ready for a rematch, he can stand a chance.”

Watari chuckles and slowly makes his way to the door. “Sure sure, but maybe you should also do that research King Oikawa gave you.”

Yahaba waves at him, keeping an eye on his friend until the door closes behind him. He turns to Kyoutani and smiles. “Do you want to play again?”

“No,” Kyoutani states, eyes on the door. “Research flower remember.”

He frowns and stares at Kyoutani for a moment. “Is… is that the translation of what you call the remembrance lily?”

Kyoutani's eyes slowly drift to the table in consideration before he focuses on Yahaba. “Research remembrance lily.”

Yahaba stares back for a moment, uncertain of what to do. “How about I research two uses for the flower and then we play a game. Deal?”

“Maybe,” Kyoutani says and Yahaba narrows his eyes. Kyoutani grins. “Deal.”


	6. Beasts

He wasn’t sure where Kyoutani would sleep considering that, as a mindless slave, Kyoutani didn’t seem to sleep. Yahaba had never really thought about it, and grew anxious when it was time for him to go to bed.

In the end, Kyoutani had pulled out the winter robes from Yahaba’s bag and curled up on the floor without a second glance to Yahaba when he’d mentioned sleep. Yahaba gaped at the beast before deciding to dismiss it, moving to change into sleepwear and head to bed himself.

Sleep didn’t come quick enough, and Yahaba found himself tossing and turning in his overly large bed for a long time after he put out the candles with a single wave of his hand. The fact that Kyoutani was there (despite having been there for three months, Yahaba considered him to be fully there now that he had his free will) made it difficult to fall asleep, though he couldn’t place why.

The sun shining through the window is what wakes Yahaba up, and he groans from the light in his eyes. Rolling away, Yahaba stretches under the bed sheets, rubbing at his eyes and yawning. He doesn’t feel as though he slept, but he must have because the last thing he remembers is the room being mostly dark and the moon shining through the window.

“Yahaba awake?” Kyoutani’s voice sounds, and Yahaba drops his hands away. He doesn’t have to search very long, the beast is standing by the bed and looking at him. “Yahaba awake…”

He pushes himself up in the bed and stares at Kyoutani. “Yeah, I’m awake; how long have you been up?”

Kyoutani shrugs. “Not long,” he grunts and Yahaba nods, looking the beast over.

“How much of my language do you know?” Yahaba asks, but Kyoutani just stares back at him. “... right, okay… did you sleep well?”

“Hard floor,” Kyoutani answers, “fur nice.”

Yahaba turns to push himself off the bed, moving around to look at the spot Kyoutani had slept. The winter robes are still there, but he can tell just by looking that they’re not particularly comfy. “I think I might need to find you a bed or something,” he mumbles, and Kyoutani comes to stand next to him, gaze also focused on the robes.

“Fur fine,” he says, shaking his head. “No bed, Yahaba have own.”

He frowns and turns to Kyoutani. “Back home in the Dark Forest, where do you sleep?”

Kyoutani looks back at him. “Bed, fur from animals,” he shrugs and gestures to the winter robes, “more thick.”

Yahaba glances to the robes and then to his bed and gestures to it. “Go lay in my bed and tell me if you seriously don’t want a bed of your own.”

They stare between one another for a few beats before Kyoutani sighs, turning and climbing up into Yahaba’s bed. Yahaba watches him flop onto his back and lay in silence for a moment, crossing his arms as he waits for a response.

Kyoutani doesn’t say anything for a while. “Well? Do you want me to get you a bed?”

“No,” Kyoutani mutters, pushing himself up and staring at Yahaba. “Bed mine.”

Yahaba blanches and gapes at him. “Excuse me?”

“Yahaba sleep in fur, bed Kyoutani,” he answers, falling back into the soft blankets.

“Uh… _no_ ,” Yahaba snaps, coming around to stand at the side of his bed and stare down at Kyoutani, “this is _my_ bed, you can’t have it.”

“Bed Kyoutani,” he says, closing his eyes and sighing. “Yahaba sleep in fur.”

Yahaba leans over and shoves him, climbing up to push at him again until he’s close to the edge. Kyoutani lets him until he sees where Yahaba is pushing him, suddenly making himself limp and unmovable on the bed. “No! This is my bed!”

“Kyoutani sleep here,” he grumbles, pushing back at Yahaba, “big bed. Yahaba sleep there.”

He looks to where Kyoutani is pointing and feels his face burn at the suggestion. “You mean… together?”

Kyoutani’s eyes widen and he shakes his head quickly. “No, Kyoutani here,” he points to the side of the bed that Yahaba has pushed him, “Yahaba sleep there.” He points to the far side of the bed and Yahaba looks between the two sides.

It’s far enough away that they would have their own space. Yahaba’s face is still hot though, and he’s not sure if it would work out. He looks between the spaces and thinks about what it would be like - if he would be able to sleep with someone so close, or if it would somehow be better to have Kyoutani beside him instead of on the floor. 

Kyoutani sleeping beside him is a thought he doesn't want to continue entertaining. 

“No, we can't sleep next to each other,” Yahaba decides, shaking his head. Kyoutani frowns up at him, sitting up to be level with Yahaba. He avoids Kyoutani’s eyes, staring at his bedsheets. “I… I can't sleep in the same bed as someone.”

“Why?”

“You're not,” Yahaba sighs, “you're not my lover or even my friend. You're… a beast I'm trying to protect from a death sentence.”

Kyoutani reaches over, poking a clawed finger to Yahaba’s knee and making him look up. He holds Yahaba’s gaze, his brows knitting together. Yahaba wants to look away, but he finds it hard to pull away. “Kyoutani protect Yahaba. Yahaba do nothing.”

He blinks, breaking the hold Kyoutani’s eyes has on him and he takes a deep breath. “What do you mean I'm not doing anything? If I didn't give you your free will, you'd be a mindless slave—”

“Yahaba free Kyoutani. Yahaba not protect,” Kyoutani takes a moment to think about his next words and Yahaba let's him, wanting to hear what he has to say. “Because… Kyoutani need… _to_ protect.”

Yahaba shakes his head, “no, I'm protecting you from the Magic Council. You can't… you _aren't_ the only one protecting someone here. Now this isn't about who's protecting who,” he gestures to the bed, “this is about where we're sleeping tonight.”

“Here,” Kyoutani says, brows raised. He stands from the bed and shrugs, “enough space. Not sleep together…” Kyoutani looks away, shoulders stiff. “Try least.”

“Try _at least_ ,” he corrects and stands as well. “I guess we could try, but if it doesn't work out,” Yahaba hesitates, staring at his bed, “if it doesn't go well tonight, I'll just… cut the bed in half.”

Kyoutani laughs and nods. “Enough space, no need to cut half.”

Yahaba smiles and nods back, moving to his wardrobe to pull out something to wear for the day. He pauses, glancing over his shoulder when he sees Kyuotani watching. “Could you, um… _not_ watch me change?”

He raises his brows, gesturing to Yahaba in confusion. “Look fine, why change?”

“This isn’t something you wear during the day,” Yahaba explains, feeling heat rise in his cheeks. The shirt he wore to bed is loose, hanging from his body and making him look as though he’s a child in an adult’s clothes. The pants he wore were similar, but they hang low on his hips, and while the shirt hangs over that, he doesn’t think it’s appropriate to wear around the castle. Kyoutani hadn’t questioned Yahaba’s choice to change last night, but then again, he’d gone to sleep earlier than Yahaba. “So turn away so I can get dressed.”

Kyoutani’s eyebrows fall, lowering to send an incredulous glare in Yahaba’s direction before he scoffs and turns around, crossing his arms. He hesitates just a moment before pulling away his clothes, watching Kyoutani from where he stands across the room.

Yahaba doesn’t remember Kyoutani removing his armor to sleep last night, and he wonders if that’s something normal for beasts to do. His eyes trace over the scars down Kyoutani’s back, how exposed his skin is and it makes him blush further.

They’d decided to share the bed tonight, and if Kyoutani were to decide to remove his armor, what would be left to cover him?

He shakes his head and pulls on a new shirt, buttoning it up before grabbing for his pants. Yahaba’s only just clasped the pants together when Kyoutani turns around and looks him over, surprising Yahaba. “I said to turn away!”

“Took long,” Kyoutani answers, and Yahaba doesn’t bother to correct him. “Research remembrance lily?”

Yahaba grabs his boots and shoves his feet into them, thinking it over. “No, not right now. I think I need some fresh air - are you coming with me?”

“Yahaba want Kyoutani?” He asks back, and Yahaba flinches at the question. He knows Kyoutani doesn’t mean it that way, but it doesn’t stop his mind from thinking it. “No… Yahaba…” Kyoutani’s thinking over what he’s trying to say and settles on, “Yahaba want Kyoutani to come with?”

He stands with a sigh, his feet tapping the floor to ensure the boots are fully in place. “I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t, but it’s up to you. Do you want to go around looking dead inside?”

“Protect Yahaba,” Kyoutani answers, nodding. “Kyoutani come with.”

Yahaba doesn’t think he’ll need protection walking around the castle, but Kyoutani probably doesn’t care. Shifting his jaw, Yahaba nods once and moves to the winter robes on the floor, picking them up to pack them away again. “Well then, make sure you look dead inside and we’ll be just fine.”

His stomach grumbles then, Kyoutani's eyes drifting down to Yahaba’s abdomen. “Hungry?”

“Aren't you?” Yahaba rolls his eyes and turns to the door, leading the way. “Let's get some food first - you might not be able to eat it right away though.” Kyoutani grunts behind him, following silently once they leave the room. 

The halls of the castle are well lit during the day; high windows shine sunlight through them and reflect off the walls to allow for natural light to illuminate the castle. The artwork stood out in the light more than it had in the evening last night, the colors now more vibrant and striking than they were in candle light. He doesn't take the time to admire the artwork though, turning down the corridor to lead the way to the dining hall. 

They pass a few castle residents on the stairs, none of them stopping to speak with Yahaba and he continues on his way without acknowledging them. He makes his way through the main halls of the first floor, walking through the open double doors of the dining hall and avoiding eye contact with the high borns who have decided to enter the castle that day. They also pay no mind to Yahaba and Kyoutani, and he hurries his way to the breakfast buffet. Kyoutani pauses beside him and he glances to the beast as subtly as possible. 

Kyoutani looks back with his eyes, face remaining neutral but there's a question in his gaze. Yahaba turns a little, quickly looking to the people near them. No one is watching them, and they instead seem to be more interested in someone seated towards the end of the table. Yahaba doesn't bother to check who and turns back to the food. 

“What do you want?” Yahaba whispers under his breath. Kyoutani doesn't move, but he hears him suck in a soft breath. Yahaba points to the ham the cook made that morning, murmuring to Kyoutani, “blink once for yes and twice for no,” before glancing over to him again. 

Kyoutani blinks once. 

Yahaba points to some bread, and Kyoutani blinks again. Frowning a little, Yahaba gestures to another platter of food and sees Kyoutani blink once more. 

“Gods, do you want everything?” He asks under his breath, and he sees a twitch at the corner of Kyoutani's lips. Yahaba holds back his own smile and decides to pile a plate high with food that he likes, as well as a few other things that hopefully Kyoutani will eat. With a quick look around the room, Yahaba doesn't see anyone looking at him funny or acting strangely, so he turns and leads the way out of the dining hall towards his room again. 

In the empty hall before his bedchambers, he checks on Kyoutani and sends him a small smile. “We'll eat in my room and then we can go for a walk,” he softly explains and Kyoutani blinks at him. 

He hopes that was meant to be a subtle agreement from the beast. 

Closing his bedroom door behind them, Yahaba hands the plate off to Kyoutani and gestures to the table in the seating area of his room. “Don't eat everything - some of it is mine,” he tells him, and Kyoutani nods before hurrying to the table. “But… I honestly don't know when you last ate,” he admits and frowns to himself. They hadn't eaten last night, Yahaba’s stomach far too upset and twisted feeling before bed to even think of food. 

Kyoutani shrugs, taking a hunk of meat to bite into it. Yahaba cringes, moving over to a drawer and pulling out a fork and knife. Handing them to Kyoutani, he watches the beast hold them with a look of confusion. He chews his food slowly, looking between the utensils in his hands before he swallows and turns his gaze up to Yahaba. 

“You use those to eat,” he explains, “so your hands don't get dirty.”

Kyoutani stares at him before his brows drop into a narrowed eyed glare, his lips thinning into a frown, and he drops the utensils loudly to the table top. Without breaking eye contact, Kyoutani grabs another hunk of meat and shoves it into his mouth, ripping a huge bite out of it and chewing messily. 

Yahaba watches him do all this and feels an odd shiver go down his spine. “Right. Nevermind, forget everything I said.”

An amused, food muffled huff of a laugh comes from Kyoutani, and he continues to eat the food as if he were a child. Yahaba's nose wrinkles and he grabs the fork, stabbing a smaller piece of the meat to eat it himself. Kyoutani watches him, chewing slowly as Yahaba puts the fork into his mouth and he begins to chew his own portion. 

“Clean,” Kyoutani says, luckily after he'd swallowed his mouthful, and Yahaba frowns at him. 

“I'm not a savage,” he answers and Kyoutani glares again. “Sorry, I just prefer using utensils so my hands don't get messy from the food.”

Kyoutani scoffs, but he doesn't say anything again. Yahaba rolls his eyes and takes his seat across from Kyoutani, and they eat in silence. 

Yahaba doesn't get to eat much of the food on the plate, but Kyoutani seems satisfied. He tries not to think about how much he actually did neglect him when Kyoutani didn't have free will - no matter how hard he tried to ensure he treated the beast fairly - because it will only make him feel guilty.

He waits for Kyoutani to finish licking his fingers, his nose wrinkling at the sight. Yahaba's jaw shifts and he fights the urge to lick his lips, wanting to prove some weird point about not being savage. Kyoutani finally looks over to him, dropping his hands from his mouth.

“Thank you,” he says and Yahaba jolts in his seat. 

“You know thank you?”

Kyoutani frowns and shrugs, standing from his seat. “Walk?”

Yahaba nods and stands as well, moving towards the door. “Yeah, let's go. Maybe we can find Watari or something.”

They leave the room and Yahaba leads the way around the castle, nodding to other people this time as he passes them. Once again, no one stops to ask him anything, and Yahaba is appreciative of it. 

Until he comes across a man dressed in dark robes and glancing around the corridor - almost like he isn't sure where to go. The man isn't taller than Yahaba, but he's close, and his hair is black like his clothes. Judging by the black diamond symbol on his robe’s clasp, Yahaba immediately knows he's a member of the royal court from Karasuno. 

Specifically the Hand of the Queen, Sawamura Daichi. 

As Yahaba approaches he finally notices the beast near Sawamura, his blank eyes watching the Hand of the Queen as he tries to figure out where they are. The beast with Sawamura has silver, messy hair, and similar marks to ‘Four’ on his face - his weren't as intricate or nearly as noticeable however. Yahaba thinks he remembers when it was announced that the Hand of the Queen received a beast, and he's pretty sure that this beast was numbered ‘Two.’

Sawamura sighs and shakes his head before he turns towards Yahaba, his eyes lighting up when he notices him. “Oh, you're a Seijou top tier, aren't you?”

Yahaba nods slowly, bowing a little. “How can I help you, Lord Sawamura?”

He waves Yahaba back up, smiling politely and shaking his head. “Please, call me Daichi. What's your name?”

“Yahaba, my lord,” he answers, standing straight. Daichi’s eyes widen and he nods quickly. 

“Ah, you're King Oikawa’s student - I thought you looked familiar,” he says and smiles again. “Would you be able to assist me?”

He notices the beast ‘Two’ step closer to the Hand of the Queen and he glances over to him. His eyes are dull, and it hurts to be reminded that beasts within the castle have no free will. Kyoutani shifts as well, and Yahaba looks back to him, seeing the light in his eyes. 

It's enough to remind him not all beasts are slaves and Yahaba turns back to Daichi with a smile. “Of course, what are you trying to do?”

“Well,” Daichi chuckles a little, scratching at his chin sheepishly, “I seem to be a little lost right now and can't find my way to the Great Hall - I'm supposed to be meeting with Lord Matsukawa today as well as another hand to greet them for making it here.”

Yahaba frowns and tilts his head to the side in wonder. “Another hand? Who all is coming here…? And why?”

Daichi smiles, but his brows knit together. “Unfortunately I cannot say; Lord Matsukawa called for us to visit.”

He nods in understanding but Yahaba doesn't say anything more on the matter. “I'll lead you to the Great Hall, my lord,” he says instead and gestures for Daichi to continue in the direction he was already headed. 

“Thank you very much,” Daichi laughs, “it seems Seijou’s castle is very different compared to Karasuno’s.”

Yahaba smiles back, but it feels forced. “Yes, I would imagine so,” he mumbles and glances back to Kyoutani walking alongside ‘Two.’ He wonders if Kyoutani knows ‘Two’ or if they're strangers to one another. If he knows ‘Two’s real name or if they'd ever even met before. 

He wonders if Kyoutani is bothered by the blank look in ‘Two’s eyes. 

“When did King Oikawa’s student become a Top Tier?” Daichi asks, gesturing back to their beasts. “I didn't hear about another beast; is this... Sixteen?”

Yahaba nods, smiling as best as he can. “Yes, I uh… gained the title three months ago, and the Magic Council gifted me ‘Sixteen’ soon after.”

Daichi nods, humming a bit. “I wonder why we weren't told of this; any idea why it wasn't announced that there was a sixteenth beast?” He glances in Yahaba’s direction and Yahaba bites his lip, trying to think of an answer. 

He's unable to come up with one. “I have no idea, in all honesty.” Yahaba considers Daichi’s statement and finds it odd; usually when a top tier is gifted a beast, it’s announced to the other kingdoms as an honor. 

Yahaba isn't able to say much else, Daichi going on to compliment the decor of the castle as they continue on. He leads the Hand of the Queen to the Great Hall, and they part ways from there. Daichi thanks him and enters the room with ‘Two’ following after like an obedient dog. 

“Was that the Hand of the Crow Queen?” Someone asks, and Yahaba turns around to find Kindaichi and Watari approaching him. Kindaichi looks impressed, but Watari is watching Kyoutani with a frown. Kindaichi smiles down to Yahaba once they're closer, “Lord Matsukawa mentioned the other hands would be coming. I heard Karasuno’s had arrived yesterday with another top tier - have you seen the top tier he brought with him?”

Yahaba doesn't get a chance to answer when Watari groans, making a few people who pass by glance in their direction. “ _I_ have, and he's very in your face,” sighing Watari shakes his head. “Kept asking me for stomach ache remedies; I guess he fed his beast something on the way to Seijou and it didn't look like ‘Three’ was doing okay, but I couldn't really tell since I was,” Watari looks to Yahaba and gestures to his eyes, “you know, temporarily blind.”

Kindaichi gawks at Watari. “What happened?!”

“Nothing major, just a bad potion mix,” Watari shrugs and smiles up to Kindaichi. 

Yahaba looks between them and shrugs himself. “Well, I haven't seen any top tiers myself, what's his name?”

Watari is about to answer when he sees something behind Yahaba and he cringes. “You're about to find out…”

They all turn to look at what he's seeing in the main hall, but Yahaba can't look past Kyoutani who's looking right back. 

“Hey, Watari!” Someone calls, and finally Yahaba focuses on the people behind Kyoutani, specifically the short man hurrying towards them. His hair is spiked, bangs lighter in color to the rest of his dark brown hair. He's grinning and practically running, a large, intimidating beast coming up behind him. 

His eyes look just as dead as ‘Two’s, and based upon who Yahaba is looking at, this beast is the third to be captured and successfully experimented on - ‘Three,’ the beast gifted to Karasuno’s Queen Shimizu the same day ‘Two’ was given to her hand.

The Queen didn't wish to have a beast, and it'd been rumored she had given ‘Three’ to one of her stronger top tiers by the name of Nishinoya; and he's currently walking towards them with an excited bounce in his step. Yahaba's jaw drops, and is surprised to know the famous top tier Nishinoya isn't as amazing as the stories say - especially if he's already annoyed Watari. 

“Thanks again, Watari,” Nishinoya says (or yells) at them and Watari winces from the volume of his voice. “Three was powering through, but I could tell something was wrong!” He laughs and pats ‘Three’ on the arm, and it's crazy how huge the beast is compared to the powerful wizard Yahaba knows Nishinoya is. Nishinoya’s gaze shifts to Yahaba and his eyes light up. “Oh! You're a top tier! I haven't met a Seijou top tier yet!”

Yahaba forces a smile and extends his hand. Nishinoya latches on, his grip tight as he grins up to Yahaba. “Good to meet you - you're Nishinoya, right?”

He laughs and nods, “I am! I'm surprised you know me, and I'm sorry to say I don't know who you are.”

“Oh, I'm not really—”

“This is Yahaba,” Kindaichi pipes in, cutting him off. Yahaba looks back to him with wide eyes before turning back to Nishinoya, seeing him gape up to Yahaba. “He's the king’s personal student.”

Nishinoya drops his hand from Yahaba’s hold and points at him with an odd sound. “I've heard of you! King Oikawa’s student who gained top tier status so fast! It wasn't announced, but I heard some rumors.”

Yahaba gulps and nods, unsure of how to answer. His focus shifts to ‘Three’ who looms over Nishinoya, his blank eyes staring down at Yahaba and frightening him. 

He shifts his gaze over to Kyoutani and hopes this doesn't bother him. 

“Whoa, and you have a beast?” Nishinoya proclaims, and Yahaba realizes he had noticed where Yahaba was looking. “Which one is this? I don't remember the last one they were on - Fifteen? Seventeen?”

“Sixteen,” Yahaba answers, his voice small. “So uh… ‘Three’ was given to you?”

“Yeah,” Nishinoya says, turning to smile up at his beast. “Smile Three, you're probably scaring them!” He laughs, and ‘Three’ pulls a face - somehow it's less intimidating and more like the beast looks uncomfortable, maybe even scared. “There we go, you look less scary!”

“He looks uncomfortable,” Yahaba says, then winces when he realises what he's said. 

Nishinoya frowns and focuses on Yahaba again. “Yeah, I… guess that's true,” he glances to Yahaba's side and grins. “Sixteen looks pretty uncomfortable too, actually.”

Yahaba immediately looks at Kyoutani and sees the odd way his brows are coming closer together, as though he wants to glare but is fighting against it. “Uh… yeah, that's his face.”

“Well, they're just beasts anyway,” Nishinoya frowns and shakes his head. “Still, I think it would be nice if they could smile for themselves rather than having to wait for us to tell them.”

He thinks Nishinoya is somewhat aware that the beasts aren't truly themselves. He wonders if ‘Three’ ever would have smiled with his free will, if he's actually less intimidating. Yahaba isn't sure if they're all like Kyoutani, who stayed by Yahaba's side out of some kind of honor to him for saving him from a life of mindless slavery. 

If Nishinoya freed ‘Three,’ would the beast stay at his side or kill him on the spot? Yahaba would never be able to say for sure. 

Nishinoya turns back to Watari and smiles again. “Thank you again, Watari. Three could have died if you didn't give me that advice.”

Watari chuckles humorlessly, “I doubt that, but I'm glad I could help.”

They say their goodbyes and Nishinoya turns to leave, ‘Three’ following behind without a choice. 

Kindaichi hums and scratches his head. “Sounds like you're a little famous, Yahaba,” he says and Yahaba turns back to his friends. 

“I… I guess,” he murmurs and focuses on Watari. “Do you have any idea why it wasn't announced that… ‘Sixteen’ was gifted to me? Lord Sawamura said they hadn't heard word of that.”

Watari frowns and shakes his head. “No, I don't have any idea.”

Yahaba works his jaw a little, and turns to Kindaichi. “Do you maybe have any idea why Matsukawa asked for the hands to come to Seijou?”

Kindaichi frowns as well and shrugs. “Lord Matsukawa doesn't tell me a lot of things, just… a few things that most everyone already knows.”

“Oh,” Yahaba says and sighs. “Well, thanks anyway.”

“Sorry Yahaba, I wish I knew more.”

“It's okay, it at least explains the troops heading here on King Oikawa’s map,” Yahaba reaches over and pats Kindaichi’s shoulder, smiling softly. 

Kindaichi smiles back and stands a little taller. “If I ever find out why, I'll let you know,” he pauses, considering his words, “well… unless Lord Matsukawa asks me not to. Besides, you'll probably find out sooner than me.”

Yahaba laughs and Kindaichi excuses himself, citing business Matsukawa had asked him to handle. Watari and Yahaba wave him off, smiling kindly. 

“So what brings you out of your chambers?” Watari asks, leaning closer to whisper, “and why is Kyoutani with you?”

“I needed fresh air and I don't like keeping him cooped up,” Yahaba answers, facing Watari with raised brows. “He's fine; no one has noticed, not even Nishinoya.”

Watari scoffs and rolls his eyes. “I don't think Nishinoya catches on to a lot of things, but okay. If you're sure.”

Kyoutani quietly huffs and they both look at him, Yahaba cocking his head to the side in confusion. “Let's… go somewhere less public,” he mutters and and Watari nods, the three all turning to head to less traveled halls of the castle. 

“Look, Yahaba, I know you're super all about giving him his right to live and all,” Watari starts once they're away from prying eyes and open ears, “but I don't think this is a good idea. Sure, Kyoutani is capable of _acting_ like the living dead, but how long until someone realizes his glare isn't just his face.”

Kyoutani scoffs and says something in his language. Yahaba looks between the two of them and sends a questioning look to Watari but Kyoutani decides he can translate. “Fuck you,” he says and Yahaba stops to face the beast. 

“I'm sorry, how do you know _that_ phrase?” He asks and Kyoutani just stares at him. 

Watari laughs and grabs Yahaba's arm, pulling him along in case someone rounds a corner. “Well, maybe it's something he's heard. The high borns aren't all class and snotty perfectionists,” he says and Yahaba sighs. 

“It's just, out of everything he just _knows_ how to say in Wizard Language, it has to be vulgar and mean things,” Yahaba groans and runs his fingers through his hair. He stops when he brushes the small metal headband Oikawa had given him the day he became top tier. It had made Yahaba think of a crown, but he knew it was normal for top tiers to own it. Most just never wore them.

Kyoutani's claw pokes his shoulder for a second and he looks back to the beast. He's quick to keep himself from appearing to have emotions, his hand falling to his side as though it never moved. “Stupid Yahaba,” he murmurs, “delicate Yahaba.”

He gapes at the beast, and Watari busts out laughing. “Delicate? Why’s he calling you that?”

“I guess I'm like a flower or something,” Yahaba replies and rolls his eyes. Watari continues to laugh and Yahaba smacks him, continuing down the hallway. “It doesn't matter, he also said I'm strong.”

Watari tries to calm his laughter and he nods along. “Well you are, even if you think you're not.” Yahaba opens his mouth to protest but Watari cuts through, “Yahaba! You're amazing at magic, I still don't know why you deny the truth about how strong you are!”

“Yahaba very strong,” Kyoutani agrees quietly and neither of the wizards look back. They do turn a little to lend an ear, letting Kyoutani know they're listening. “Yahaba stupid… but strong.”

They all go silent when a royal court member turns down the hall and walks past them, and no one continues the conversation the rest of the way until they're at the top of the East Tower. It's the only tower without guards during this time, and no one comes up to it. 

“Hey Kyoutani,” Watari starts once they're at the top, overlooking the kingdom from the open windows, “I've been wondering something. Do you know any of the beasts you've met so far?”

“Two… Three…?” Kyoutani tries the numbers out and shakes his head. “No, Kyoutani… not know.”

Yahaba furrows his brow and looks the beast over. “Are… are there a lot of beasts in the Dark Forest?”

Kyoutani stares at him and shakes his head. “Beasts…? Not beast - not... animal,” he says and points to himself, “human. Yahaba agree.”

“I…” he hesitates, and Watari looks between them. Yahaba clears his throat and shifts his weight on his feet. “I did say that. Actually, what does your people call themselves? What do you call us?”

“Wizard,” Kyoutani points to Yahaba, then pauses when he points to himself. It doesn't seem he has a translation for what the beasts call themselves, because he looks to Watari and says something Yahaba knows he'll never be able to pronounce. 

Watari's face twists into confusion, and he turns to Yahaba with wide eyes and a scrunched nose. “I have _no_ idea what that is,” he says and turns back to Kyoutani with a shrug. “Sorry, I'll double check when I get back to my room.”

“We call you beasts,” Yahaba supplies and Kyoutani glares at him. “I mean, I know you're not an animal; none of your people are animals.”

Kyoutani nods, “yes. Human.”

“I know,” Yahaba feel a smile take to his lips and Kyoutani starts to smile back. 

Watari whistles lowly, scratching his head. “Uh… how about ‘Four’? Do you know him, Kyoutani?”

Kyoutani's eyes scan the walls of the tower room and he focuses back on Watari. “Four?”

“Yeah, the beast that follows King Oikawa around,” Watari says and Yahaba tries to recall the last time Kyoutani saw ‘Four.’

“Kyoutani… maybe,” he says but he doesn't sound certain. He glances to Yahaba with a frown. 

Yahaba isn't sure if Kyoutani has seen ‘Four’ is the problem. “Do… do you mean you're not sure?”

“Not sure,” Kyoutani nods and his shoulders bob up and down. “Not know Four.”

“I don't think you've ever actually been in the same room as him,” Yahaba offers and Watari turns to him. “Not even when you didn't have free will.”

Watari looks surprised by this. “How is that possible? You've had Kyoutani at your side for three months, how have they never met?”

Yahaba takes a deep breath and tries to think of an answer. “It's just… the king and I don't exactly bring them everywhere. He actually leaves ‘Four’ to do whatever he tells him, like train with the knights or something. And when Kyoutani was… not free,” he sends an apologetic look to Kyoutani here, “I uh… usually left him in my room.”

Watari sends him an incredulous look and takes a deep breath. “For someone so compassionate about Kyoutani’s freedom, you sure treat him like shit.”

“Like shit,” Kyoutani nods and Yahaba reaches over to smack him. He snickers and Yahaba glares between them. 

“I'm sorry, I didn't want to have him trailing after me!” Yahaba defends and throws his hands in the air. “It's just… at least now you can decide if you want to come with me or stay in the room!”

Kyoutani grunts, nodding again. “Kyoutani free. Yahaba free Kyoutani.”

He smiles at the statement and nods along. “Yeah; if you want to do something, just let me know and I'll see what I can do.”

Watari looks between them, coughing a little. “Got it, you have an agreement on this arrangement. It's just… what if someone catches on?”

Yahaba doesn't know how to respond, and he stares at Kyoutani. Kyoutani stares back, and it's clear he doesn't have an answer either. 

“Not sure,” Kyoutani says, and he doesn't look away from Yahaba. “Deal later.”

He doesn't like the sound of that, but Yahaba nods along anyway. Just by looking to Watari though, he knows his friend isn't so sure about that statement.


	7. Nothing Going On

The remembrance lily had more to it than Yahaba originally thought. Watari had suggested returning to Yahaba’s chambers so he could do his research after they asked Kyoutani a few more things about his people that, unfortunately, he couldn't find a good way to answer that was understandable. Watari had said he'd swing by his room to grab his language book so he could better communicate with Kyoutani while helping Yahaba do his research, but he has yet to come to Yahaba's room. 

Kyoutani keeps glancing to the door and it's distracting Yahaba bit by bit. “If he doesn't come then he was summoned by Mizoguchi,” Yahaba mutters, making Kyoutani look at him. “He has a duty to learn everything about being a royal apothecary, so if Mizoguchi calls, Watari has to go to him.”

“Watari no come,” Kyoutani says, leaning back in his seat. “Research remembrance lily?”

“I'm trying to,” Yahaba grumbles, focusing on the page, “but some of this doesn't make sense. It's almost like the flower is a folk lore and not an actual thing sometimes.”

“Good dream,” Kyoutani replies, tapping his head with his clawed finger, “memory dream.”

Yahaba stares at him. “How did you know that? Did I tell you about that?”

“Healer use when Kyoutani hurt,” he answers, now pointing to one of the scars on his exposed shoulder. “Sleep good after eat flower…”

He's gaping now, but Yahaba can't help it. “Wait, your people use the flower when healing?” Yahaba pauses and thinks over what Kyoutani said. “It's… edible?”

Kyoutani leans forward and points to the drawing in the book. “Flower safe when no blue. Flower kill when blue.”

Yahaba is beyond impressed; he had no idea beasts used anything like this to help them sleep, but it makes sense. The flower grows in their home territory, why wouldn't they try it?

“Wizards use the flower in potions that do similar things,” Yahaba whispers, focusing on the book again. “There's a lot of things to it for the potions, almost to a point that I don't think I'll remember them all. They're so… detailed and specific. Adding this gives you this kind of memory, doing this creates a memory based off of a real one,” Yahaba shakes his head, “it's crazy. I don't know if I'll be able to tell all of it to the king.”

Kyoutani huffs and sits back again. “Flower remember; only eat to… get good dream,” his lip curls as he looks at the book, “wizard do strange thing. Use when flower kill.”

Yahaba shakes his head, “the blue veins might mean it's poisonous, but with the right ingredients it's completely safe. It's much more powerful and effective when there's blue veins.” He looks up into Kyoutani's eyes and they stare between one another. “Either way, I'm going to be making some kind of potion and there's so many, I can't help but wonder which one.”

“Memory,” Kyoutani says, nodding towards Yahaba, “have all?”

His blood runs cold at that. Yahaba doesn't have all of his memories, and being asked about it so suddenly sends a shiver down his spine.

“I—” he's cut off by a knock and Yahaba jumps in his seat. Kyoutani hesitates, watching Yahaba with furrowed brows before he stands and moves over to the door. 

Watari is panting on the other side, looking as though he'd been running. “I'm so sorry,” he manages, pushing past Kyoutani into the room. Kyoutani shuts the door without a word as Watari comes over to the table, dropping his books onto the surface. “I was held up,” he gasps and focuses on Yahaba, “by Nishinoya again. He is… _very_ talkative, but luckily the Nekoma group has finally made it.”

Yahaba considers this and narrows his eyes. “Fukurodani is closer than Karasuno and especially closer than Nekoma - why have they arrived first?”

“Maybe Lord Matsukawa asked Nekoma and Karasuno first, or maybe they didn't accept the invitation until later,” Watari suggests, shrugging as he flops into the seat Kyoutani had been in. “Either way, they're coming,” he pauses and sends Yahaba a questioning look, “why didn't you ask about Shiratorizawa?”

“Oh,” Yahaba glances to Kyoutani as the beast comes around to sit in the third seat, “I guess it's because none of their troops were moving on King Oikawa’s map…”

Watari hums and nods, “makes sense.” His gaze shifts down to the book in front of Yahaba and he gestures to it, “what have you learned?”

Yahaba scoffs and props his chin into his hand, leaning on the table with a frown. “Nothing new - there's a million potions you can make and the history behind Memoralis sounds like a folk lore or something.”

Kyoutani taps his temple again, “good dream.”

“Oh, and that beasts will eat the flower when there isn't blue veins in the petals while healing so that they dream their happiest memories,” Yahaba points at Kyoutani and raises his brows. “That I learned from him by the way. I didn't know the flower was edible until he said that.”

Watari looks between them, a look of confusion on his face. “Oh, so he's able to communicate with you, no problem, but with me, he has to try to get me to do brain exercises so I can translate everything for him?”

Yahaba rolls his eyes, “maybe he just likes his language, Watari, and having someone that understands even a little is nice.”

“Why can't he just learn our language?” Watari groans, falling forward onto his books. “It's so much easier than forcing me to translate all the time…”

“Fuck you,” Kyoutani simply says and Watari glares at him. Kyoutani smiles before dropping the grin, his usual scowl back in place. 

Yahaba sighs, focusing back on the book about the Memoralis. “Watari, what am I supposed to tell the king? There's no way I can know everything and explain it to him about the flower.”

Watari grabs the book and pulls it toward himself, skimming through the books contents with a hum. “Make a list - potions that put you to sleep with dreams of good memories, and some of the differences for how they might be made. Maybe make a note of how many there are and how many of the different forms of brewing the potion. I don't think he'll ask for everything literally, just,” he hands the book back and smiles, “explain that you know there's a lot to be known about the flower.”

“I guess I could do that,” Yahaba mumbles, glancing over the story of the lighting and the phantom myth - definitely not something he could believe - with a purse of his lips. “But knowing his grace, it might not be good enough.”

Watari laughs, and Yahaba can't fight the smile that crosses his face. “Yeah, from what you've said about him, King Oikawa is very particular about things.”

“I get why he is,” Yahaba says in defence of his teacher, “it's just… I think I can learn without doing some of his assignments.”

Kyoutani interrupts the conversation by pointing to the illustration in the book. “What that?”

Yahaba sighs, fighting the urge to correct him (Watari mumbles “you mean ‘what is that,’ right?” anyway) and answers, “it's the drawing to go along with the supposed history of the Memoralis, but it's saying something I know is a myth had a part in the Memoralis coming to creation.”

“Myth?” Kyoutani questions, his brows knit in confusion.

“It's not important,” Yahaba explains with a shrug, “I'll tell him the story if he asks, but since the goal is to make a potion, I'll focus on that part of the flower’s information instead.”

Watari shakes his head with a small laugh, “the king is strange… anyway, why don't you look at more complex potions instead of the simple ones that are basically the same?”

Yahaba nods and flips through the book to longer potion listings that use the Memoralis. “While I do this, do you want to help Kyoutani with speaking our language?”

Kyoutani groans and shoves his hands into his ears, dropping his forehead to the table. “No more!”

Watari and Yahaba stare at him with wide eyes before they turn to one another. “Uh… then maybe you should practice his language?” Yahaba tries instead and waits. 

They watch Kyoutani after that suggestion to see what he'll do, and after a few seconds he finally drops his hands to the table and pushes himself back up. “Maybe,” he mutters, glaring at Yahaba and shifting his gaze to Watari instead with a nod. Kyoutani says something else in his language, making Yahaba look to Watari as well. 

Watari’s eye is twitching. “I think he just called me a whiny bitch,” he says, grabbing his language book and flipping through it. “Yeah, he called me a whiny bitch!”

Yahaba laughs, pointing at Watari. “Oh, that's funny!” He claims, earning a glare from Watari. “Hey, don't look at me like that,” Yahaba defends, throwing his hands up and trying to stop his snickering, “we both know you're not a whiny bitch, it's okay. Kyoutani probably just is sick of the language barrier.”

“No I think he just thinks I'm a whiny bitch because you keep making us translate for you,” Watari deadpans, turning his book around and dropping it on top of the remembrance lily book. “Maybe you should just learn the language, he's your beast after all.”

He gapes at Watari, uncertain on how he should respond. He gulps when he feels Kyoutani watching him, unwilling to look to the beast in question. “I… I don't have time to learn a language.”

“And what? You think Kyoutani wants to learn how to speak ours?” Watari challenges, raising his brows skeptically. “Why should he be the only one learning a language here?”

“At least he understands it!” Yahaba snaps, “I can't even comprehend the sounds he's making when he speaks!”

Kyoutani scoffs, and Yahaba finally turns to him. “Yahaba stupid,” he says, but for once, it's said with some bite behind it, as though he means it to hurt. 

Yahaba stares into Kyoutani’s eyes, trying to think of some way he can respond. He settles on flipping through Watari’s book for something and he finds the translation for ‘stupid’ sooner than he thought he would. “Kyoutani… _con-ve-jet_...?” He tries, glancing up to him, hopeful he didn't make a fool of himself. 

Kyoutani’s glare drops completely and he stares at Yahaba with a blank expression - Yahaba would argue that he might even be slightly impressed. However, he's not sure if he said the correct word, so Yahaba turns to Watari in worry. 

“That wasn't too bad, actually,” Watari hums, scratching at his chin, “you… were trying to call him stupid, right?”

“Yeah,” Yahaba breathes, smiling in relief. He turns to see Kyoutani glaring at him now. “Oh come on, you call me stupid all the time.”

Watari huffs and crosses his arms, “I think he's more upset because that word has a few other translations.”

Yahaba stops smiling immediately and looks between them. “What… what else does it mean?”

“There isn't a real translation,” Watari explains, and he can no longer fight the smile that's crossing his lips. “But it has similar meanings to asshole I think, only it's kind of worse than that.”

There's a moment of silence before Yahaba finally turns his attention back to Kyoutani. Kyoutani's scowling, his eyes narrowed. “Fuck you,” he finally says in response to Yahaba, standing from the table and moving to Yahaba’s bed, flopping down onto it. 

Yahaba bites his lip, trying to think of some way he could apologise. Watari slowly turns back to Yahaba, a cross between confusion and some shock on his face. “Yahaba… where does Kyoutani sleep?”

His face immediately burns at the question and Yahaba avoids Watari’s eyes. “Uh…”

“Yahaba,” Watari whispers, an urgency in his voice, “are you _sleeping_ with him?!”

“No!” Yahaba hurriedly says, but Watari doesn't look convinced. “It's not like that!”

“Then what is it like? Because he seems _way_ too comfortable on the bed for it to be _nothing_!”

“We aren't sleeping together,” Yahaba grumbles, but he knows the red in his cheeks isn't going to convince Watari. “At least… we haven't yet…”

Watari reaches over and smacks Yahaba, “what does _that_ mean?!” He's trying to stay quiet but Yahaba thinks he might as well talk normally for how loud he's becoming. 

“Where else can he sleep, Watari?” Yahaba asks, sounding a little more desperate than he means to, “it's not what you're thinking, it's just sleeping!”

“Yahaba, sleeping with someone,” Watari hesitates, shaking his head, “Gods, what if something happens? Are you planning to marry him?”

Immediately, without meaning to, Yahaba’s mind conjures up an image of a beautiful necklace around Kyoutani’s neck, a matching one around his own, and Yahaba feels his stomach drop at the thought. “N-no?” He stutters, but it doesn't even convince him. 

“No claim,” Kyoutani says, and they both jump in surprise, looking up to find Kyoutani standing over them. Yahaba doesn't even know when he or Watari started to lean forward during their whispered argument, especially since they both know Kyoutani probably heard every word. He's glaring down at Watari, and Yahaba glances between them. “Kyoutani protect Yahaba. No claim.”

Watari's face is pale, but he nods along. “Got it, no claim… it's just sleeping,” he mumbles and Kyoutani nods in response, turning to move back to the bed and lay on it again. 

Yahaba turns his attention to the book in front of him, looking it over for any explanation of what claim might mean to beasts. “What does he mean by claim?”

Watari hasn't moved, and he stares off into the room without actually looking at anything. “It's… it's like marriage for us,” he manages, “but it's a little different. For one, they ‘claim’ one another while…” he hesitates and finally focuses back on Yahaba, a slight hue of pink in his cheeks. It makes Yahaba’s face heat once again when he realizes what's not being said and he gapes at Watari. “Uh… yeah, they do it then and after that, they will stay with whoever they claimed until death. It's actually pretty interesting,” he coughs, “the uh… staying together until death part. Mainly because if one of them does break it off, it actually physically hurts the one who didn't make the choice to end things.”

“And all that,” Yahaba starts, gesturing to the book, “is explained in here?”

“Kind of - some of it I had to look up in another book when that one didn't explain it clearly,” Watari shrugs. “There's no real translation for what it's called, but suggested ones would be like ‘mating’ or ‘marriage,’ and ‘claim’ is the easiest way to explain it.”

Watari clears his throat and takes his book back, silently flipping through it. When he doesn't immediately show anything to Yahaba, he turns his gaze past Watari to Kyoutani on the other side of the room. He can't see his face, but his legs are hanging off the bed and his feet swing a little. Yahaba feels some gratitude when he sees that Kyoutani didn't put his feet up on the sheets considering his boots are still on his feet - who knows what could be on the bottom of those shoes?

He hears Watari clear his throat again and lightly jumps in his seat. Yahaba licks his lips and drops his focus to the Memoralis book, reading about the other potions there are. Watari shakes his head in his peripherals, making Yahaba shift in his seat uncomfortably.

Sleeping in his bed tonight will be the strangest thing he's done; he already expects to be unable to actually fall asleep. 

They sit in silence for a while after that, the sound of pages being turned the only sound as Yahaba and Watari read up on their own studying. Occasionally Watari will turn towards Kyoutani and quickly clarify the pronunciation of a word, but nothing else is exchanged between the two of them.

It's when the sun begins to set and the room starts to grow dark that Yahaba finally looks up, rubbing at his eyes. The only new thing he was able to learn is that he could use a spell on the potions to pull memories from other people, and while that was interesting, the ingredients needed to do so were so ridiculous he isn't sure he'd ever be able to create that one. 

“It's already so late?” He asks, looking out the window to the setting sun. Kyoutani's sitting up in his bed now, hunched over something. His boots aren't on, and Yahaba's actually surprised that Kyoutani thought to remove them. Judging by what he has in his hands, Yahaba figures out that he's playing with the cards again, though he doesn't know what he could be playing - no one has shown him a single player game before. 

“Yeah, I guess,” Watari sighs, closing his language book. “I think dinner might be served by now; they usually serve a little earlier when someone's arrived in the kingdom, and Nekoma’s hand got here earlier today.”

Yahaba tries to think back to what he knows about the royal court of Nekoma and finds he's not certain of their names. The court in the Frozen North’s kingdom has changed recently, their prince becoming king about five months ago. He was younger than their king, and Yahaba thinks he himself might be the same age as Nekoma’s king. However, that doesn't help him remember the young king’s hand or his name. 

“It's… it's Yaku, right?” He asks Watari. 

“Yaku Morisuke, the Hand of Nekoma’s King,” Watari nods, and he starts to grin suddenly. “I heard he's pretty short, but if you mention it he'll hex you on the spot.”

Yahaba sends him an unamused look; “you're short too, Watari.”

“I'm not even _that_ short,” he defends, but Yahaba sees Kyoutani shake with repressed laughter on the bed. “Whatever, just be careful not to mention it if you meet him, okay?”

“Got it,” Yahaba nods, but he smiles over to Kyoutani. The beast smirks back, shaking his head as he picks up the cards. “Let’s go get dinner - Kyoutani, do you want to come with us? If you don't, that's fine, I'll just make sure to get extra for you.”

Watari doesn't let Kyoutani answer; “I think he should stay here. It's not like you're going to be threatened in the castle, so he doesn't need to come in order to protect you.”

“Well then, let him decide that for himself,” Yahaba retorts, turning to Kyoutani. “Do you want to come?”

“... Yahaba want Kyoutani to follow?” He asks slowly, and Yahaba frowns. 

“It's up to you.”

“... no,” Kyoutani answers finally, and Yahaba is taken aback by this. “Kyoutani stay here.”

He nods slowly in response, standing from his seat. “Okay; I'll bring you some food, alright?”

Kyoutani doesn't answer, turning to look at the deck of cards in his hands. 

Watari stands as well, taking his books to the shelf behind the table and setting them down. With a tap of his finger on the spine of each book, they slip further back into the shelf until they disappear, and Yahaba knows he's sent them back to his own bookshelf in his room.

He turns around to Yahaba and smiles at his friend. “Let's get going then; I have to report to Mizoguchi before bed so I'll have to leave after we eat.”

Yahaba nods and leads the way to his door. Watari walks through it first at Yahaba's offer, but he pauses before he follows. Looking back, he sees Kyoutani watching him from the bed. “I'll be back in a little bit,” he explains, but Kyoutani doesn't make a move to respond at all. 

Dragging his gaze off of Kyoutani, Yahaba moves around the door and exits the room, pulling it closed behind him. He avoids the look Watari sends him and moves down the corridor towards the staircase. The candles in the chandeliers of the hall have been lit in response to the sun setting, and the paintings lost their intensity of bright colors in the dim lighting. Watari hurries to his side and coughs. 

“Yahaba, I don't know what to tell you,” he murmurs and Yahaba shifts a little to glance over at him. “I mean, if he's what you want—”

“I don't,” Yahaba snaps, his jaw shifting as he avoids grinding his teeth. “I told you, it's not like that.”

Watari sighs, “yeah, but do you even believe yourself? Because I don't believe you.”

Yahaba stops and turns to face him fully, making Watari stop as well. “Watari, I'm telling you that it's _not like that_. Why can't you just believe me and leave it alone?”

“Because I'm not blind,” Watari answers, but then he rolls his eyes, “well, not anymore. But still - I see the way you look at each other. It's as subtle as Nishinoya whispering.”

Yahaba gapes at him, his brows furrowing. “Excuse me, but I don't look at him like - a-and he's not—” Yahaba groans, digging the heel of his hand into his eye. “It really isn't like that!”

Watari shakes his head, “I don't know what to tell you,” he says again, sounding as though he doesn't have the effort to argue. “I won't ask again, but I do think you need to sort this out. It's clear you're interested in each other, even if neither of you will admit it.”

Yahaba bites his lip, trying to think of an excuse. “I… it's not like that…”

“What's going on?” A third voice asks and they both turn to find Kindaichi walking towards them. He looks concerned as he approaches, stopping a few paces away. “Am I interrupting something? Everything is okay, right?”

“Yes,” Yahaba quickly says, glad to have a change in subject, “everything is fine! Don't worry about; how are you?”

Kindaichi hesitates, looking between Yahaba and Watari with a skeptical expression. “I'm good…? Lord Matsukawa asked for me but I'm not sure where he is. Have you seen him?”

They both shake their heads, and Yahaba gestures towards the stairs. “We're heading to dinner if you want to join us.”

“Sure, maybe I'll see him there,” Kindaichi smiles politely and the three of them start walking. Yahaba catches the look Watari sends him and he knows this means they'll be talking again soon. “Hey, where's Sixteen?”

Yahaba looks up to Kindaichi with a frown. “Oh uh, I left him in my room. It's… awkward having someone follow me around.”

Kindaichi rubs at the back of his neck, his eyebrows rising in confusion. “He was following you earlier though, wasn't he?”

“Yeah well, I figured it'd be nicer for him to get out and move than to leave him in my room all day.”

“I guess,” Kindaichi mumbles, dropping his hand and shaking his head. “I have to be honest with you both, I don't think it's good to experiment on beasts. I mean… they're human too, aren't they?”

Yahaba immediately stops, knocking Kindaichi into him, but he rounds on him with wide eyes. “That's exactly how I feel!”

Kindaichi blinks, glancing between Yahaba and Watari. “Wait, really? But… you have Sixteen?”

“I didn't want him,” Yahaba explains, looking over to Watari to see him nodding. “I just didn't know how to refuse him!”

Kindaichi nods, his face shifting to one of understanding. “I get it, yeah… that makes sense.”

Yahaba smiles, but it feels odd. “I hate that the beasts are treated like slaves - they deserve freedom.”

“I wonder if we could do something about it,” Kindaichi mutters, biting his thumb in thought. Yahaba appreciates the thought, but he isn't sure Kindaichi would be of much help in reaching that goal where they are now. 

“Kindaichi,” a voice calls and all three turn to find Matsukawa at the end of the hall. He has a small smile on his face, and Yahaba wonders if he heard what they were talking about. “I'm glad I caught you, come with me please.”

Yahaba and Watari glance back to Kindaichi who's nodding to his teacher, a grin lighting up his face. “Of course my lord, I was just looking for you!”

Matsukawa chuckles and gestures for Kindaichi to come over to where he is. “Sorry about that, I wasn't in my room. I should have mentioned where to find me when I summoned you.” Kindaichi nods to Yahaba and Watari before moving around them, hurrying to the Hand of the King. “Goodnight to you both, Yahaba and Watari. It was nice to see you again,” Matsukawa calls to them, waving politely before putting a hand to Kindaichi’s back, leading him to the staircase that leads to the third floor. 

Yahaba nods back, and Watari waves to them both. “That was weird,” he comments before he turns his gaze back on Yahaba. “Doesn't mean I forgot what we were talking about though.”

He doesn't respond, deciding to hurry his way to the stairs down to the first floor. “Can we not talk about that right now?”

“Think about it and then we will talk again at a later time,” Watari says, trailing after Yahaba as they descend the stairs. “Promise me that much, okay?”

Yahaba sighs and nods, “okay…”

The dining hall isn't as packed as it was that morning, and Yahaba is grateful for it. He does a cursory glance of the high borns at the table, seeing one or two royal court members among them. Nishinoya is at the far end of the room with Daichi, their beasts behind them. There's two other beasts with them, one ridiculously tall with white hair and the other with wide eyes, his hair short and black. They must be the beasts of the Nekoma wizards seated beside Daichi and Nishinoya - he doesn't recognise either of them, but based on his height he gathers that the one with short, red hair is Yaku, making the other most likely a Nekoma top tier - his most distinctive feature being a blonde mohawk. 

The four of them don't notice Yahaba enter with Watari, and for that he is glad. He'd rather get his dinner and leave so that Kyoutani can have dinner as well. 

“The top tier with Lord Yaku,” Watari whispers when they get to the buffet, “I think his name is Yamamoto.”

“Do you know their beasts numbers?” Yahaba asks quietly, putting as much food onto his plate as he can. 

Watari clicks his tongue, watching Yahaba put more and more food on the platter. “Uh… I think Lord Yaku has ‘Eleven,’ and he's the really tall one,” Watari answers, then nods in the general direction of the group, “and Yamamoto’s beast is ‘Six,’ the one with wide eyes.”

“Are you sure it's not ‘Seven?’ I remember they were around that number when a top tier in Nekoma was given a beast.”

“Yeah,” Watari nods, “I'm sure because ‘Seven’ was given to the clan leader on the Isle of Iron as a peace offering.”

Yahaba makes a noise of agreement, nodding along. “I remember now; Moniwa was his name, wasn't it?”

“Right,” Watari agrees and steps back from the buffet to take a seat at the dining table. “Are you eating here?”

He considers it a moment and shakes his head. “If I'm going to bring ‘Sixteen’ food, I should leave without eating, right?”

Watari nods and waves him away. “Go back to your lover then,” he mutters with a grin and wave of his hand. 

Yahaba's face burns, but he doesn't bother arguing about it. He knows Watari will ask about it again at a later time. 

So he waves to Watari and turns to hurry out of the hall and back to his room. He passes by a few high borns that send him odd looks (most likely because his plate is ridiculously piled full of food) but he doesn't acknowledge any of them. He returns in no time and finds that Kyoutani has returned to the table, having closed the books and placed them on the shelf. The cards are laid out on the table and he can't tell what it is Kyoutani is doing with the cards. The beast pauses and looks up from what he's doing, his expression unreadable. 

“Did you at least mark the pages I was reading?” Yahaba asks, closing the door behind him. Kyoutani stares up at him, and by how he doesn't seem to have an answer, Yahaba sighs and drags his feet over to the table. “Whatever, I'll find it later. Pick up the cards, I have dinner for you.”

“Yahaba eat,” he says, sliding the cards into a perfect stack to move them out of the way. “Kyoutani eat the left.”

Setting the plate down in the center of the table, he scrunches his nose and narrows his eyes as he tries to piece the words together. “Wait, what?”

Kyoutani scoffs, leaning back to shuffle the cards. He slow about it, but he's at least not sending them flying everywhere. “Yahaba eat, Kyoutani eat… after.”

Yahaba grabs two forks and moves back to the table, sitting down silently while considering Kyoutani’s words. “Okay I think I get it; are you trying to say ‘Yahaba eats _first,_ then Kyoutani eats what's left’?”

“Yes,” Kyoutani nods, taking the fork from Yahaba. He sets the deck down to the side, bring the fork up to look at it more closely. “Yahaba no eat before. Eat now.”

Yahaba shakes his head, “I eat… I _ate_ before, I don't know what you mean.”

Kyoutani's gaze shifts over to Yahaba with a skeptical look in his eyes, “Yahaba no eat lot. Yahaba eat now.”

He's tired of arguing with people, and it's annoying trying to correct all of Kyoutani’s grammar, so Yahaba just sighs and begins to dig in. There was more variety to the food this time, and Yahaba had found that this spread had more of what he liked to eat than what was available this morning. Kyoutani's watching him eat though, and it makes Yahaba feel tense in his stomach. He's unable to look on Kyoutani's direction the entire time, and halfway through eating his own portion, Kyoutani begins to eat as well. 

He doesn't say anything, but it surprises him to see Kyoutani use the fork. 

Once the plate is cleared of food, Yahaba stands and figures now would be a good time to bathe - he didn't that morning, mainly because Kyoutani had distracted him. He hesitates on his way to the water basin, turning back to look at Kyoutani. 

He's focusing on the cards again, the plate pushed away. Yahaba clears his throat, and Kyoutani glances up to him, one brow raised in question. 

“Uh, I'm…” Yahaba bites his lip and thinks of how to word this, “I'm going to bathe real quick. Just… don't watch, please?”

Kyoutani's brow drops back down and he rolls his eyes, scoffing as he focuses back on the cards. Yahaba takes that to mean Kyoutani won't watch him, but he still hesitates before going to the basin. 

It's slightly around a corner, and just enough out of the way that if he stands more to the side than he normally does, Yahaba can hide himself from Kyoutani’s view. So he begins to take off his clothing and pushes himself further back, focusing on making sure Kyoutani is not within his sights. 

He's quick about it, even making sure to avoid looking at his arms once his gloves come off while he scrubs himself down. A gesture of his hand has water pouring out of the spout, and soap is added to help with the cleaning. Yahaba feels better once he's finished, and he brings the towel to himself with a quick movement of his finger. He's dried off and the gloves are back on place when he realizes he didn't grab a change of clothes. 

Sighing, Yahaba focuses his magic on opening the wardrobe and levitating his sleepwear to himself. The movement seems to alert Kyoutani, because Yahaba hears the chair scrape against the floor before Kyoutani peeks around the corner. He sees Yahaba just as he pulls on his pants, his brows raised. 

“What Yahaba do?” He asks, coming over to the basin. Kyoutani sniffs the air, leaning forward as though he's smelling something from Yahaba. “Smell different. Why?”

Yahaba pulls his shirt on, adjusting the sleeves around his gloves. “Because I smelled terrible and I needed to bathe.”

“Yahaba smell fine,” Kyoutani grunts, nodding to him now, “now smell like flower.” Kyoutani's eyes light up and he points at Yahaba, “Yahaba try be flower?”

He stare at Kyoutani and shakes his head. “What is it with you and me being a flower or whatever?”

Kyoutani shrugs, “Yahaba flower, Kyoutani not.”

He groans and scratches at his hair, pulling the headband off. Yahaba moves over to the wardrobe, grabbing his discarded clothes along the way. “Whatever, don't you think you smell terrible?”

He hears Kyoutani actually sniff, and glancing back he sees that he's smelling his pits. “Kyoutani not sure. Yahaba think Kyoutani smell bad?”

Yahaba's not sure how to answer that, turning back to put away the dirty clothes. “I uh… I'm not sure.”

Kyoutani moves over to him and Yahaba gasps from how close he is. “Smell,” he says and Yahaba wrinkles his nose. 

“Gods no, I'm not going to sniff you!”

He doesn't really get a choice though, because Kyoutani is so close and he can smell it - Kyoutani smells like the forest, like pine and wood and grass. He's got another scent about him that Yahaba isn't sure how to describe, but bad isn't on the list of potential descriptors. 

“You smell fine,” Yahaba murmurs, “it's just… wizards bathe most days to make sure they don't smell terrible.”

Kyoutani looks confused. “Yahaba not smell terrible - before, Yahaba smell good.”

Yahaba's face burns and he can't fight off the awkward laugh that bubbles up and out of his throat. Kyoutani's brows furrow and he looks Yahaba over. “Uh… are you wearing that to bed?” He asks, coughing in an effort to recover.

Kyoutani looks down at himself and back up to Yahaba. “Should… should Kyoutani take off?”

“Only if you think you'll be more comfortable,” Yahaba offers, gesturing to the leather armor over the left side of Kyoutani’s chest and metal piece on his shoulder. “If you want, I can loan you a shirt?”

Scoffing, Kyoutani reaches up and unlatches the metal shoulder piece from the leather on his chest, dropping it to the ground. While he doesn't usually wear a lot of clothing in general, seeing Kyoutani’s left shoulder is somehow surprising and Yahaba stares at the scars he hasn't seen before. 

Kyoutani moves slowly and takes off the belt around his waist next, and with it comes the cloth that hangs over the top of his thighs. Yahaba sucks in a breath, and sighs in relief when he realizes that Kyoutani is wearing something like underwear underneath. 

“So uh… you think you'll be comfortable like that?” Yahaba asks, finally looking up to Kyoutani's face. Kyoutani is watching him, expression hard to decipher, but Yahaba reaches up and pats the leather plate over his chest. “What about this one?”

“No,” Kyoutani says, grabbing Yahaba’s wrist. “What about this one?” He repeats back perfectly, and it's so well spoken that Yahaba isn't aware of what he means until he starts to pull at Yahaba's glove. 

“ _No_ ,” he snaps, pulling his hand away and making sure the glove is still in place. “The gloves stay, okay?”

Kyoutani nods and taps his knuckles to the leather on his chest. “Stay…”

Yahaba nods back and clears his throat, looking down at his gloves. Sometimes he forgets to remove them for when he bathes, the feel of the cloth practically grafted to his skin. He doesn't really remember never wearing them, even though it's only been three months. 

He doesn't want to think about why. 

Kyoutani grunts and he looks back up to the beast. He nods towards the bed and raises his brows. “Bed?”

Yahaba wonders if there's some kind of record for the amount of times he can blush in one day and whether or not he's broken that record today. Taking a deep breath, Yahaba nods and turns to go to the bed. Kyoutani moves as well, heading to the other side. 

He pulls back the covers and watches Kyoutani do the same in response. Yahaba's face is on fire as he climbs into the bed and he looks away from Kyoutani when he sees him do the same. 

They sit in the bed like that for a few moments, Yahaba trying to keep his heart from going crazy. He has no reason to be so nervous - they're only sleeping. 

Still, he glances over to Kyoutani and finds the other is watching him intently. “Yahaba okay?”

“I-I'm fine,” he manages before looking out to the room. With a wave of his hand, Yahaba puts out the candles in the room and they're plunged into darkness. “Goodnight, Kyoutani,” he whispers, slipping further down into the sheets and laying down with his back to Kyoutani. 

The bed shifts as Kyoutani lies down as well. “Goodnight,” is his response, and Yahaba pulls the covers up to his mouth. 

He can feel Kyoutani's body heat on his back despite the distance between them and Yahaba squeezes his eyes shut. Yahaba can already tell he's never going to fall asleep tonight - his heart is still beating too fast and the very thought of Kyoutani waking up next to him has his mind going through all sorts of scenarios.

Yahaba curls in on himself and tries to think of anything other than the beast beside him.


	8. Potions

He doesn't remember ever falling asleep. 

Yahaba had spent the first part of the night trying not to move, certain that if he did he'd somehow bump into Kyoutani despite the fact that there was enough space between them to put at least one more person into the bed. At most, they could fit maybe two more people and one small child if they were okay with touching. There was no reason to worry, but Yahaba still couldn't bring himself to shift in the bed. 

Eventually he heard Kyoutani's breathing even out and soft, somehow adorable snores come from his side of the bed. Yahaba felt himself relax when that happened, but he still remained on the edge of the bed, one arm hanging slightly off the side. He still wasn't able to close his eyes and fall asleep, the images his brain produced enough to keep him tense. 

He must have fallen asleep though, because his body is warm and comfortable as Yahaba feels himself coming back into consciousness. He's lying on his stomach now, and somehow as he reaches up to rub at his eyes and yawn he forgets he should be keeping to his side of the bed. 

“Yahaba awake?” Kyoutani's voice mumbles then, and Yahaba freezes in place before he can stretch himself out. Slowly, Yahaba drops his hands and opens his eyes to look over to where the beast last was. 

Kyoutani is lying much closer to him than when they climbed into the bed, and by a quick glance around, Yahaba sees that he's the one whole rolled to the middle. Slowly he turns back to Kyoutani and gulps down the lump in his throat.

“Yahaba okay?” Kyoutani asks, pulling himself up a little and leaning closer. “White face, look sick… bad dream?”

Yahaba doesn't even remember his dream. “Uh… no, I don't think so?”

Based on the uncomfortable feeling between his legs pressing into the bed, he definitely had some kind of good dream. 

Kyoutani frowns and nods towards him. “Make noise while sleep; sound… in pain,” he supplies, tilting his head to the side. “Yahaba no have bad dream?”

His face is burning when he realizes what Kyoutani is saying. Burying his face into the pillow, Yahaba groans. “Did I say anything?”

“No,” he answers, which is probably the best thing Kyoutani could have said then, “just made noise. Like did now.”

Yeah, he bets that's the noise he made…

Yahaba pulls his face from the pillow and rolls to sit up in the bed. Kyoutani pushes himself up to sit beside him, his brows knitting together in concern. “It's fine, I wasn't dreaming anything bad…”

Kyoutani nods and doesn't say anything more. The leather chest plate has shifted slightly, but it's still mostly covering the left side of his chest. Yahaba tries not to stare, but it's hard not to when he notices the darkened patch of skin peeking out from under the leather. 

The scars that sit within the ashen skin are red and dark, almost vein like, but before Yahaba could really get a good look, Kyoutani pulls the chest plate back into place and fumbles his way off the bed. 

Yahaba gulps, watching Kyoutani move around to where he'd discarded his armor the night before, the scars on his back standing out to him now more than ever. He wants to ask where they came from, but Yahaba doesn't know how appropriate that is in Kyoutani’s culture. 

“Well, goodmorning,” Yahaba mumbles as he finally pushes himself from the bed, going to his wardrobe to find something to wear. Kyoutani watches him from the corner of his eyes, and Yahaba tries not to look back. He hears the sound of his armor clunking together as he lifts the pieces, and by the sound of the belt clicking into place, Yahaba knows Kyoutani has already gotten dressed (if you could call it that). 

Kyoutani grunts something under his breath and Yahaba holds in his sigh - already he can tell the day would be long and difficult if Kyoutani won't even speak to him. He pulls his own clothes on and tries to ignore the tingling feeling at his neck, shivering lightly when that sensation moves lower on his back and he knows he's being stared at. 

They gather breakfast and head back to the room, eating it silently and avoiding one another’s eyes. Yahaba feels a constant heat in his cheeks and he wonders if he'll ever act normally around Kyoutani again. 

Once the food is gone and Yahaba takes care of the plate (really it's just setting it on a collection table for servants to grab later near the door), he settles into his seat and begins to read about the Memoralis once again. Kyoutani starts to flip through a different book, apparently done with the cards, and they sit in silence for nearly an hour. 

“Do you know anything else that's useful for this flower?” Yahaba asks as he flips through to another complex potion that does the same as the rest, only this time it's to help remember the things that were said rather than the events of what occurred. “You said you can eat them to sleep better while recovering, but is there anything else?”

“Kunimi—” Kyoutani mumbles, but he stops short and shakes his head. Yahaba has no idea what a Kunimi is, but he waits for him to continue. “No, Kyoutani not… familiar.”

“What's Kunimi?” He asks, resting his head in his hand. “Is that a word for something?”

Kyoutani sends him an odd look as though he can't believe Yahaba would say that. “Kunimi… brother - healer.”

Yahaba blinks and tries to understand. “Is… does it mean brother and healer or—”

“Kunimi _name_ ,” Kyoutani snaps, and Yahaba is surprised. “Kunimi not say lot for flower…”

He stares at Kyoutani, shocked to get information about Kyoutani's family - at least he thinks it's his family member, he did call him ‘brother.’ “What's Kunimi like?”

Kyoutani focuses on the book in front of him, and Yahaba waits for a solid three minutes. He never looks up and Yahaba sighs, returning to his own book. He may not be familiar with Kyoutani’s personality yet, but he gets the picture when the beast won't look at him. 

He hears the beast clear his throat after he reads through the information on another potion. “Remembrance lily,” Kyoutani grunts, and Yahaba looks up to him for a second before he shoots his gaze back to the book, “much research, yes?”

“There's a lot about the flower, yeah,” Yahaba nods, turning the page. Another reference to the phantom, but Yahaba just turns the page again with a roll of his eyes. “There's no way some of this is real - I don't know if I can depend on this book anymore.”

Kyoutani huffs and shakes his head. “See flower in flesh; learn from use.”

Yahaba bites his lip and considers his words when a knock comes at the door. Yahaba stands at the same time Kyoutani does and they stare at one another. Kyoutani nods down to the chair Yahaba was sitting in before and moves towards the door, leaving him to slump back into his seat. 

The door clicks open and the servant on the other side squeaks at the sight of Kyoutani. “Uh, i-is Yahaba here…?”

Kyoutani steps out of the way and Yahaba holds in his snicker at the way Kyoutani's face looks. The little servant walks in and bows to Yahaba, remaining close to the entrance. “What can I do for you?” Yahaba asks, standing from his seat again. 

“Kindaichi had asked me to let you know the Hand of the King from Fukurodani is within sight,” she says, standing straight again. Yahaba nods, but he's not sure why he needs to know that. Maybe Kindaichi was just trying to keep Yahaba in the loop? The girl coughs and continues, “but I was actually sent to summon you for his majesty.”

Oikawa was calling for him? Yahaba frowns and nods to the girl. “Thank you; did his grace give any instructions?”

She seems confused by the question. “What do you mean? H-his majesty just asked for you to meet him in his chambers…”

Yahaba nods again and smiles as best as he can. “No, that's fine, thank you.”

She bows again and scurries out of the door, grabbing the plate on the way and Kyoutani pushes the door shut behind her. The beast looks over to Yahaba and he tilts his head to the side. “Leave?”

“I…” Yahaba turns to the table and looks at the books before him, “is he asking for my answer on the flower? He said to take my time, didn't he?”

Except now Yahaba can't remember being given a time limit. He's not even sure if he was supposed to take his time. He looks to Kyoutani and bites his lip. “Yahaba?”

“We're going to see the king,” Yahaba mumbles, grabbing the book he'd been reading, “and hopefully I'll give him a good enough answer on what I know about the Memoralis.”

Kyoutani doesn't move forward when Yahaba begins to head for the door, and he pauses to look back at him. “Four no territorial?”

He'd almost forgotten - Oikawa’s beast was acting odd and he couldn't bring Kyoutani the last time he saw the king. Yahaba shifts his weight between his feet, glancing to the floor. “Well… she didn't say I couldn't bring you, right?”

Kyoutani doesn't look convinced, but he nods anyway and moves to follow him. Yahaba takes a deep breath and opens his door, hurrying down the corridor towards the stairs to the third floor.

They don't pass anyone, but the thought of ‘Four’ still acting strange is making his heart pound and his steps slow. Kyoutani bumps into him on the stairs and he places his palm to Yahaba’s left shoulder. “Breathe,” Kyoutani mumbles, and Yahaba does his best to do so. 

“Leave if ‘Four’ acts weirdly, okay?” Yahaba whispers back and he glances over his shoulder to see Kyoutani nod. He continues up the stairs and makes his way to the double doors of the king’s chambers. 

Yahaba raises his hand to knock, his hand shaking and he chances a look over at Kyoutani. The beast is watching him with a frown, but his brows are furrowed in question. He takes a deep breath and brings his fist down, knocking on the door. 

It takes a moment, but eventually ‘Four’ pulls the door open and he looks at Yahaba with a blank expression. His eyes slowly shift over to Kyoutani, and something shifts within the slits of his pupils.

He hears the low growl before he registers that ‘Four’s teeth are bared, and Yahaba slowly shifts to stand in front of Kyoutani. ‘Four’s mouth snaps shut and he moves back, stepping away into the room. Yahaba slowly looks back to Kyoutani and sees him still standing there - however, instead of remaining emotionless, Kyoutani’s eyes are wide and he looks as though he's seen a ghost. 

Yahaba hesitates a moment, but then Oikawa appears in the doorway with a frown. “Gods Yahaba, I told you Four has been weird lately, why did you bring Sixteen?”

Yahaba gapes and tries to answer, unsure of what to say. “I-I forgot! I'm sorry!”

It was the worst excuse but Oikawa simply sighs and shakes his head. “Come on in then, and tell Sixteen to stay as far from me and Four as possible.”

Yahaba nods and begins to step into the room, the king already having walked away and back to the table he'd been at the other day. He glances back and nods to Kyoutani, who tries to relax his face before following through the door. 

Kyoutani immediately goes to the far side of the room opposite of ‘Four,’ who's watching him move towards the corner. Yahaba gulps and hopes that whatever is wrong with ‘Four’ won't become a problem for him and Kyoutani. Yahaba closes the door himself and slowly makes his way over to Oikawa. 

Oikawa’s hovering by the table; there's something brewing in the pot he has placed before him and the flower that Yahaba retrieved is sitting in the center of the table. None of the pieces on the table have shifted beyond the Nekoma and Fukurodani groups having made it to Seijou’s kingdom, and it looks as though a yellow trading group from the mountains is coming down - Johzenji must have acquired something new and is making their rounds - and one of the troops for Shizatorizawa is on the move towards the north now. 

Yahaba doesn't get a chance to see much about Seijou’s area because of where Oikawa placed his brewing pot, but it does look like someone has left Seijou in the direction of the Dark Forest. He really can't tell, and Oikawa clears his throat when he tries to look around at the figure. 

“How goes the research?” Oikawa asks with a smile, and Yahaba knows he shouldn't look back to the map. 

“Oh, I uh… have found out that every potion you can make has very specific details that changes the effect, and for the most part will result in something with memories,” Yahaba shrugs, showing the book to Oikawa. “Did… did you want all the details?”

Oikawa waves his hand and laughs. “Not at all, but from what it sounds like you were looking into _every_ potion and nothing more?”

Yahaba gulps and twists to gently place the book down, glancing to the Memoralis. “I did skim through the history portion, but…”

“It doesn't seem real, does it?” Oikawa asks, and Yahaba isn't sure what to make of the smirk. So he shakes his head and Oikawa sighs, crossing his arms. “I don't blame you, but I'm glad you at least looked through the supposed history of Memoralis; Living Lightning and the phantom are interesting myths.”

Yahaba shifts his footing, frowning at Oikawa’s words. “Do… do you believe in it?”

Oikawa shrugs, “it doesn't matter - what else did you learn?”

“Uh,” Yahaba racks his brain, trying to think of an answer. “I… I learned Memoralis is edible, but only if it's not affected by lightning.”

Oikawa raised his brows and blinks twice. “Edible? Really?”

“Y-yeah,” Yahaba rubs the back of his neck, “it gives the individual who ate it a good night’s rest and dreams of good memories if they're healing from bad wounds. At least,” he gulps and quickly thinks of an excuse, “Watari’s books on the beasts says that's what they use it for.”

There's a brief silence between them until Oikawa grins and begins to laugh. “My my, you went above and beyond!” Yahaba smiles and feels slight pride at the praise. “So tell me, what's the most difficult potion to create with the Memoralis?”

His shoulders slump. “I… didn't get that far…”

Oikawa sighs and shakes his head. “Well, it hasn't been that long, but it's more than you had before.”

“Oikawa, am I making the most difficult potion?” He asks, glancing to the brewing pot. It doesn't look like the items in there are ones that relate to the Memoralis potions he'd been reading about, but it's possible they change the more complicated it gets. 

The king looks to the pot as well and shakes his head. “Not yet - I want you to learn that potion inside and out, and I need you to do it soon.”

Yahaba sighs and he bites back the groan that almost follows. “Is that the last step for all of this? Am I done with the research?”

Oikawa places a hand to Yahaba’s shoulder and he stares up at the king in surprise. “Yes, in terms of the Memoralis, the last step is knowing the potion I want you to make. I'm proud of you for doing the little research you did, but I'm going to need to cut it short. We're running out of time.”

“What do you mean?” Yahaba straightens and notices Oikawa won't look at him. “Oikawa, what's going on?”

The expression that crosses Oikawa’s face sends chills down Yahaba’s spine. “How long has it been, Yahaba?”

He blinks, not sure what he means. “Oikawa…?”

“Three months, hasn't it?” Oikawa continues as though he hadn't heard anything. He's staring at the brew he's making and Yahaba looks between his king and the potion of unknown use. “And you still don't remember…”

He can't quite move. The room feels like it's shifting around him, and his head feels heavy. He feels his heart pounding but he can't breathe. 

“No one knows what happened,” Oikawa continues, “but two men died and beasts Eight and Nine were destroyed,” Yahaba winces, trying not to think of the report, “and yet two people lived through it.”

Yahaba feels a weight in his stomach, but it twists at the news. That wasn't in the report. “T… two?”

Oikawa finally looks up at Yahaba before his eyes drift to the corner of the room. Yahaba slowly turns and all he sees in the blank expression on Kyoutani’s face. 

“I…” he's at a loss, his throat dry. Kyoutani wasn't there, was he? If he was, then it would have been before the Magic Council…

His blood runs cold as he stares at the beast. 

“I need you to remember, Yahaba,” Oikawa goes on, his voice low, “we can't waste any more time.”

Yahaba tries to gulp around the lump in his throat before he turns back, and the way Oikawa stares at him just makes him shake. “Oikawa I… I've tried everything! I don't know what happened—”

“That's why you need to use the Memoralis!” Oikawa snaps, slamming his hand onto the table. Sparks fly from his hand and Yahaba is shocked at the lack of control his king displays with his magic - it's made worse when the brew explodes. “ _Shit_ ,” Oikawa pulls back, fanning himself and pulling at the high collar of his shirt. 

He stares between his king and the exploded brew and wonders what it was for. An immense heat is pouring from the pot, making Yahaba feel overheated in his own clothes. He pulls at his collar and wonders about the potion. Yahaba isn't sure what it might be, but it smells sweet and bubbles ominously. Oikawa’s still fanning himself, and he's undone the buttons on his shirt when Yahaba sees it. 

“O-Oikawa…?” He mumbles, and the king glances back to him in confusion. Yahaba knows he's gawking obnoxiously, but what was hidden under Oikawa’s shirt is now exposed and Yahaba doesn't know what to do. 

Oikawa glances down and gasps, pulling the top buttons of his shirt back together with a clenched fist, and he won't look Yahaba in the eye. “Speak nothing of this!” Oikawa hisses between his teeth, his cheeks red. 

Yahaba doesn't know what to say. “Oikawa, was that… who did you…” He can't form the right sentence, swallowing thickly as so much information comes crashing down around him. “Are you married?”

The king doesn't answer, just turns his back on Yahaba. He thinks of the image of the necklace he'd gotten a glimpse of; it was so beautiful, the pendant full of hues of blue with marks that looked like dark red flames that could be hot to the touch, licking their way over the smooth surface. 

But King Oikawa has never shown interest in… anyone. Women fawned over him, and sometimes even men, but Oikawa never seemed to care. Yahaba couldn't comprehend, the very idea that the young king has married at all has shaken Yahaba beyond belief. 

“Oikawa,” he starts, voice wavering. Yahaba clears his throat and tries again, much firmer than before, “Oikawa, who have you married?”

“Drop it, Yahaba,” Oikawa mutters and Yahaba shakes his head. 

“Who is it?” Yahaba licks his lips, “when did you get married? How has no one—”

“I said _drop it_!” Oikawa snaps, turning back around, sparks flying from his fingertips a little. His shirt falls open at the top again and Yahaba stares at the necklace. It's close to his neck, the chain short and the pendant sits on his chest just under his collar bone.

Yahaba falls silent, staring at Oikawa, hopeful he doesn't look as lost as he feels. Oikawa takes a few deep breaths, watching Yahaba before he straightens, adjusting the clasps of his shirt to close the neck. 

“Figure out the potion, Yahaba,” Oikawa says, gesturing to the book Yahaba brought. “Do it now, and when you have finally remembered, I'll explain everything.”

He doesn't know if he wants to understand, but questions are piling up and Yahaba isn't sure he'll be able to handle remaining in the dark. So he slowly makes his way to the table and he opens the book up to the potions information. Oikawa comes to stand beside him, looking down into his ruined potion. With a click of his tongue and wave of his hand, the brew disappears and Yahaba continues to wonder about it. 

It takes time to create the most complex potion. For one, it required that the user of the potion be the one to create it, their magic being what will kickstart the effects. That explains why Oikawa didn't just make it for him and instead tried to use it as a teaching method. But now they've apparently running out of time and he's decided to just have Yahaba create it himself without researching anything more. 

After the outburst, Yahaba sets to work on the potion. It requires so many different ingredients that Yahaba isn't sure he'd ever find any of it. Luckily, Oikawa apparently had taken care of that part, producing the items in question and Yahaba gapes at the sight of the rare items the potion called for. 

As he continues to gather information, Yahaba feels a bit of dread when he has to turn the page and continue reading about the preparation of the brew. Oikawa steps back to let Yahaba handle it, and he begins to place items into the newly added water Oikawa had created. It takes time as the information requires things to be cut or peeled, as well as additional quick, simple spells to be done in between with specific time intervals that has Yahaba’s focus on overload. 

Eventually he reaches the final step of adding the Memoralis, and the book warns that this step is crucial - adding the petals could be fatal if Yahaba doesn't do it just right. 

He gulps and tries to remain confident as he placed the petals in delicately, Oikawa watching over him silently, but his presence is strong and reassuring. Yahaba sends his will through the petals, disintegrating the flower with his magic within the hot brew. His fingers burn from the heat, but Yahaba remains focused and knows Oikawa has a few quick healing spells up his sleeve. 

Slowly, Yahaba removed his fingers from the hot liquid and steps back, breathing easy. The book says the potion needs to settle, so he watches it and wonders how long it will take. Oikawa takes his hand in his, a soothing air flowing over his burnt fingers when the magic kicks in. 

“It will take three hours,” Oikawa mumbles, conjuring a small flask. He levitates it to the potion and has it sunk down within, filling it up before pulling it back out. “Don't let anyone touch the flask,” he says, hovering the flask within Yahaba’s reach, “and drink this once three hours have passed. Keep in mind the time you're in need of remembering, and you'll be sent back to the lost memory.”

Yahaba nods, clutching the flask to his chest. “And then?”

“Return here with Sixteen,” Oikawa nods towards the beast in question, “to explain to me what happened on the mission, and I'll explain what I can as well.”

He takes a calming breath and turns to his teacher. “Thank you, your grace,” he bows to him, and Oikawa sighs. 

“Work on that formality crap with me,” he grumbles, gesturing for Yahaba to stand again. “Get going, it's gotten late and you need dinner.”

Yahaba bobs his head, staring at the potion in his head. It hasn't felt like it'd been that long. Had noon already passed? Was it noon when he came here in the first place? Yahaba wasn't sure, but he turns on his heels and heads to the door, Kyoutani following immediately. 

Once they reach the second floor, Yahaba remembers what Oikawa had said about two survivors and he rounds on Kyoutani. “What was that about?” He snaps, and the beast simply stares at him. “You… you never—”

“Yahaba?” A voice calls and Yahaba straightens, turning around to find Kindaichi at the top of the stairs that lead to the first floor. He's clutching his arm and trying to be subtle about it, but his traveling robes cover the sight of his arm from Yahaba’s view. “Is everything alright?”

He's not sure how to answer, but just seeing the way Kindaichi is standing as though he's exhausted and the way that he's holding his arm, Yahaba feels uneasy and storms over to him to pull his arm forward and look at it. 

Yahaba gasps, eyes wide at the spiral formations trickling up Kindaichi’s right forearm, the start of the twisting lines sitting in his palm. There's three of them, and they're fresh, and Yahaba wants to hex the one who did this to him - they look terrible, as though Kindaichi’s skin was being ripped into by a blade that circled it’s way up and around his arm. But it’s not a scar, not exactly.

Kindaichi pulls his arm away, cradling it to his chest. “It's not what you think—”

“Not what I think?” Yahaba snaps, and Kindaichi flinches. “Kindaichi, those are from a sealed promise! And it's not just one but at least _three_ of them! Do you know how dangerous that is?!”

“It's okay, really,” Kindaichi says, avoiding Yahaba’s eyes, “I… I don't mind!”

“What did you promise?” Yahaba demands, and somewhere in the back of his mind he hears himself screaming to stop, that Kindaichi has done nothing wrong. “Who did this?”

“I-I can't,” Kindaichi shakes his head, his voice cracking from strain, “I can't…”

Yahaba knows what that means. “Kindaichi, whoever is making you do sealed promises on _secrets_ is far too cruel and—”

“I don't _mind_!” Kindaichi shouts and Yahaba takes a step back. “It's okay! It's not for forever!”

He feels himself relax and he stares up at Kindaichi with a frown. “Sealed promises take a lot of magic from both parties, Kindaichi; you… you must be exhausted… get some rest, okay?”

Kindaichi nods, focusing on his shoes. “One day I'll explain, but I can't right now… I'm sorry.”

“It's okay,” Yahaba whispers, patting Kindaichi’s shoulder softly. “I'm sorry for acting so… crazy.”

“It's okay,” Kindaichi mumbles back and he turns towards the stairs. “I'll… see you later…”

Yahaba can't bring himself to say anything and he nods, waving a little. His stomach is churning and Yahaba knows he won't be able to eat, so he hurries back to his room now, so much on his mind. 

Kyoutani shuts the door behind them and Yahaba flops down onto his bed, the flask still in hand. He feels the bed dip and he glances up to see Kyoutani hovering above him and to the side. 

“Yahaba no hunger?”

“I don't feel good,” he mutters, bringing the flask into his view. “I… the king is married and he wants me to remember something terrible that I've never been able to, Kindaichi’s involved in something terrible, you—” he suddenly sits up and Kyoutani pulls back so their heads won't collide. “You were _there_?!”

Kyoutani looks ashamed, avoiding Yahaba’s eyes. “Kyoutani…”

He trails off and it’s obvious he's hesitating, making Yahaba grind his teeth. He grabs Kyoutani by the leather plate over his chest, his fingers dug in and under the armor to brush against the skin he's never seen. Yahaba pulls him close and makes him look Yahaba in the eye, “Kyoutani. Were. You. There?”

The door slams open and the both turn to look at the entrance, finding Watari in the doorway. He hasn't looked at them yet, fumbling with the door to close it quickly before storming further into the room. “Yahaba, I just—” he stops dead, staring over at them. “... am I interrupting?”

Yahaba releases Kyoutani and shifts away on the bed. “No, not at all,” he says quickly, grabbing the flask with both hands to keep them occupied. “What happened?”

Watari narrows his eyes but shakes his head. “I just met the Hand of the King for Fukurodani. He told me that in Fukurodani, owning a beast is illegal!”

Yahaba stares at his friend, trying to figure out why he should care when a million things just blew up in his face. “Okay…?”

Watari’s shoulders slump and he begins to pout. “I thought you would have liked that - apparently, King Bokuto hates the idea so he made that law in the Kingdom of Fukurodani…”

“That's cool, Watari, but I have bigger problems,” Yahaba sighs and this catches Watari's full attention. “I've had a long day,” he explains and Watari moves forward to take a seat on Yahaba’s other side.


	9. Memory

“That really is a long day,” Watari mumbles and shakes his head. “I can't… how did all of this happen? Beyond that, what exactly is going on?”

Yahaba shrugs and stares down at the flask. “I have no idea,” he quietly admits, and feels the need to say more. 

He knows he can't; for one, he couldn't say what secret Oikawa was keeping from him. Oikawa asked him not to say anything. For another, the secrets Kindaichi is holding are a mystery to him and Yahaba is trying to figure out who Kindaichi would make a sealed promise with. 

Yahaba’s almost certain it's Matsukawa, but he likes to think the Hand of the King has better tact than to hurt his student like that. 

“You said Kyoutani was there, right?” Watari asks, leaning around to look at the beast in question. “Do you think you can explain what happened? Maybe Yahaba doesn't have to remember the mission - it's pretty clear he forgot it for a reason, right?”

Yahaba immediately turns to Kyoutani, suddenly upset all over again. “You have a lot of explaining to do!” He scowls, about to reach out to grab him by his armor again when Kyoutani shakes his head. 

“Iwaizumi,” he states simply, and Yahaba stares at him. 

“I'm not in the mood for your language, what the hell does that—”

“It's not a word,” Watari interrupts, pulling Yahaba back by grabbing his shoulder. He didn't even realize he was leaning into Kyoutani’s space, so he rounds back to Watari in confusion. “Kyoutani,” he continues on, looking at Kyoutani, “who’s Iwaizumi?”

Yahaba looks between them, figuring it would be better to not speak now. Kyoutani sighs and looks to the floor. “Iwaizumi… is Four…”

“Wait, you know ‘Four’?” Watari asks, sounding excited by this development. “That's great! Well, not really, because that means he's a part of your tribe and has been captured, so sorry about that—”

“Iwaizumi brother,” Kyoutani cuts him off, shaking his head, “Iwaizumi… _despavare_.”

Yahaba groans and looks to Watari, but the way his friend is staring at him confused him. “Uh… what does that mean?”

“Leader,” Watari whispers, and it's so quiet Yahaba almost misses it. “Four - Iwaizumi… he's like Kyoutani’s king.”

Kyoutani nods and Yahaba gapes at him with Watari. “You’re related to a king?” He mumbles, but Kyoutani narrows his eyes. 

“Iwaizumi brother, but not… brother?” He sounds confused, shaking his head. “Iwaizumi _despavare_ ,” he gestures to his face, making swirling motions with his finger in the area around his face, “mark show… position?”

Yahaba has no idea what that means but Watari sighs, “makes sense…” He immediately snaps his glare onto Watari, and it's clear his friend knows that it means Yahaba doesn't get it. “In their tribes, they consider everyone to be their brothers and sisters - except for parents, grandparents, their children, or their partners,” he explains, which helps explain that part, “and he's basically saying that the marks on Iwaizumi’s body show his… status, I guess, as their leader.”

Putting it like that does make sense, but Yahaba is more focused on what it means. 

“Your leader was captured?” Yahaba mutters, staring at Kyoutani. The beast doesn't move. “... ‘Two’ also had marks. Is he the leader of another tribe?”

“North,” Kyoutani nods, but he shrugs as well. “Mark say north tribe.”

Yahaba smacks his arm and Kyoutani's eyes shift between his arm and Yahaba in surprise. “You didn't say that when we saw ‘Two’ _before_!”

“Yahaba no ask about mark,” Kyoutani grumbles, crossing his arms. “Iwaizumi leader - Iwaizumi safe… no dead…”

He sounds relieved and Yahaba smiles. He claps his hand onto Kyoutani’s shoulder and nods. “Yeah, that must be a relief! It's just he's uh… not himself right now.”

Kyoutani's eyebrows furrow and he shakes his head. “No, he awake. Eyes no dead like Two or Three.”

Yahaba and Watari stare at him for a long moment, Yahaba’s hand falling from Kyoutani’s shoulder. The silence is deafening in the room and he can hear the pounding in his chest. “W… what?” He manages to choke out, and Kyoutani nods to himself. 

“Leader safe, this good thing,” Kyoutani states as though he hadn't just dropped a bomb into the conversation. “Kyoutani sent find leader. He found. Mission complete.”

No one says anything for a little bit, and Yahaba wonders what this means. If Kyoutani was captured while looking for his leader, and considers the mission completed, will he leave?

Kyoutani seems to sense his unasked question and turns to look at Yahaba. “New mission main focus - protect Yahaba for save Kyoutani,” he says and Yahaba smiles. 

“Start by telling me what happened during the mission I don't remember,” Yahaba replies, voice sweet but stern. “If you were there, then it must have been when you were captured.”

Kyoutani's face falls to his neutral, deadpan face he shows the rest of the castle, and he doesn't seem to want to answer. Yahaba almost retracts his answer to say the potion will tell him anyway when he sees Kyoutani reach up and touch the chest plate he never removed. 

It only covers the left side of his chest, and Yahaba remembers the dark skin he briefly saw - the red vein like scars and the decaying appearance it held. He feels his wrists burn and fights the urge to scratch at the gloves he never removes. 

“Kyoutani,” Yahaba starts, attempting to sound as gentle as possible, “what happened…?”

He shakes his head, “Yahaba… Yahaba drink flower water. Learn there…”

“Why?” Yahaba asks but Watari clears his throat. 

Watari isn't looking at either of them, and Yahaba waits to hear what his friend has to say. “Maybe… maybe he's not even sure what happened, Yahaba,” Watari suggests, rubbing at his neck. “I mean, the reports are vague, but I heard King Oikawa telling Mizoguchi what he had found when he got there…”

Yahaba gapes at him. “Oikawa found me?” He didn't know that - Yahaba doesn't know a lot about that day. 

The mission he'd been sent on is a complete blank after he met the other top tiers he would being leading, and then later find out died during the mission. Their beasts weren't frightening, ‘Eight’ and ‘Nine’ standing at a distance from the two wizards they were gifted to. 

It was a simple scouting mission, nothing more. Their names were Sato and Ito, but they weren't very interested in speaking to Yahaba. They were nice people either way, a bit cocky in his opinion, but Yahaba found they were ready to listen to him when he announced it was time to leave. 

After that, he remembers nothing. 

“I didn't hear a lot,” Watari mumbles, “but from what I heard, you were unconscious and the others… they were torn to shreds…”

Yahaba gulps, turning his gaze to the flask in his hands. “And… Kyoutani?”

Watari shakes his head. “I never heard anything about a beast aside from ‘Eight’ and ‘Nine’...”

It's barely been an hour and already Yahaba has grown impatient. “Shit!” He exclaims, falling back on the bed and staring at the flask he holds out above him. Watari and Kyoutani both jump at the shout, looking down at Yahaba. “Why hasn't three hours passed yet?!”

Kyoutani falls back to lay beside him, and Yahaba ignores the look Watari sends them. “Sleep, when awake, be done,” Kyoutani mutters, putting his hands behind his head. 

Watari laughs and Yahaba focuses on him now. “Or you could go for a walk, maybe get some dinner?”

Yahaba's stomach is too twisted with fear to think about food. “No, I don't think I'd keep it down…”

“Sleep,” Kyoutani grumbles, and Yahaba glares at him. “Make time go fast,” he continues, his body shifting in a mock shrug. 

He doesn't think he'll be able to sleep, but when no other option comes forward, Yahaba sits back up and hurries to the table, setting the flask down gently. He finds the cards easily enough and turns to Kyoutani and Watari, who are watching him with questioning expressions. 

“Let's just play cards until it's time,” Yahaba says and the two exchange significant looks between themselves until they stand to join him at the table. 

After several games and multiple claims of Yahaba cheating (“I told you Yahaba plays dirty!” “Don't lie to him like that, Watari…” “See! He's grinning an evil grin!” “Yahaba evil…” “ _What_?!”) and trying different games when Kyoutani gets frustrated at losing several times over (he eventually flipped the table, and Yahaba smacked him for acting out over a game), the waiting period for the potion’s completion comes to an end. 

The flask is cold to the touch, unlike before where it was hot from the brewing. Yahaba takes a deep breath and looks between his friends. Watari looks nervous, but Kyoutani looks resigned. 

“Okay, here goes nothing,” he whispers, unlatching the clasp and bringing the flask to his lips. 

Yahaba focuses on the day of the mission - on Sato and Ito, what they were meant to do. He swallows the liquid, his throat freezing on contact. Drinking all of it, Yahaba pulls the flask away and focuses back on the two of them. 

There's a pause, as though everything is frozen between them when the room begins to darken. Yahaba feels the floor cave in, and while he's not falling, he knows he's moving down - like the floor is sucking him down into its existence, holding him tight and keeping him from moving away. 

Distantly, he hears someone yell his name, but there's no one around, only darkness. 

And then he blinks, and he's looking at Sato and Ito who are laughing. There's an echo to their voices, but Yahaba feels like he's there with them in the Dark Forest. 

Only he can't move - at least, he's not choosing to move. Yahaba almost panics, but then he's speaking and while the words aren't his, he knows he's the one saying them. 

“ _Looks like we're clear,_ ” he says - no, this is the past. This is what he said. His eyes scanned the forest, and it's clear as day, only Yahaba doesn't remember being where they are. “ _Let’s head back to the castle; mission is a success._ ”

Sato scoffed at this, and Yahaba turned back to him. He's not sure if he's feeling confusion himself or if this other version of him is, but he knows his face holds the question he didn't ask. “ _Come on, Yahaba, don't be a child! These missions are only successful if we capture a dumb beast,_ ” he said, his voice echoing through Yahaba’s head. It's still as cocky as he remembers, and Yahaba ground his teeth in annoyance, watching Sato pat his beast, ‘Eight,’ with a laugh. 

“ _Sato’s right, we should go hunting for some beast,_ ” Ito chimed in, grinning like an idiot. “ _Nine, find us a beast who hasn't been tamed!_ ”

‘Nine’ began to sniff the air, and Yahaba feels dread fill him. “ _The mission has nothing to do with hunting beasts—_ ”

He didn't get the chance to stop them, ‘Nine’ taking off and the rest follow just as quickly. Yahaba stumbled, and he hates to learn this, feeling himself chase after those who were meant to listen to him. 

Yahaba doesn't know how far they'd ran, but when he finally caught up, Sato and Ito were crouching in some bushes and had ‘Eight’ and ‘Nine’ doing the same. “ _Please, we have to—_ ”

Sato rounded on him, making a shushing motion before he turned back. Yahaba moved closer and looked past the bushes to find the edge of a cliff - he had no idea there were unlevel lands in the Dark Forest like this - and at the bottom is Kyoutani. 

Yahaba is trying to shout, but he can't because the Yahaba of this moment was only staring down at Kyoutani, and while he feels no recognition from the memory, he still feels a twist in his gut. He figures it's because Yahaba, at the time, had never seen a free beast before this moment. 

Kyoutani looked exactly the same, armor and all, and while it could be possible some of his scars aren't there yet, Yahaba can't quite tell. He can tell though that the cut that is in his left ear isn't there during this time, and Yahaba wonders if he received it during whatever happened in this memory. 

The Kyoutani of his lost memory was looking around, as though he'd been searching for something. His throat shifts and Yahaba knows he's swallowing in fear just before Sato and Ito leap into action. 

They used their magic to keep from completely falling down the cliff, their beasts following after without a care. He gasped and shouted, “ _look out_!”

Kyoutani looked in his direction, and Yahaba watches him jump away before Sato could attack him. Ito landed beside Sato and their beasts did as well, but Ito turned to glare up at Yahaba. 

“ _You disgusting_ beast lover!” He shouted and Yahaba feels the shame that washes over him in the memory. He wants to shake it off, because there should be no reason for him to feel that way. “ _I knew you were fucked up_!” Ito continued before he ran to help Sato attack Kyoutani. 

Beasts ‘Eight’ and ‘Nine’ followed the commands thrown their way, and Yahaba hates watching four people attack Kyoutani like this. He isn't able to watch for long, the Yahaba of the past looking around to find a way to get down there. He screams at himself to just levitate down like Sato and Ito did, but he realizes quickly that his past self was trying to preserve his magic energy so he could restrain Sato and Ito. 

Eventually he climbed down and used very little bursts of magic to keep himself steady on the way down. He made it down in time to see ‘Eight,’ who's significantly bigger than Kyoutani, pinning the free beast into the dirt of the forest floor. Sato stood over them, panting heavily and looking worse for wear. 

“ _You fucking animal,_ ” he scowled, heavily breathing between the words, “ _fuck the Magic Council, I'll just fucking kill you_!”

Yahaba didn't even hesitate, and it almost feels like he was in control of this memory because he sent out a spell to grab hold of Sato and yanked him away from Kyoutani, slamming him into the ground. He hears the snap of a bone, but judging by Sato’s groans and movements, he only broke an arm or a leg and nothing worse. 

Ito immediately began berating him, “ _Yahaba, what the fuck is wrong with you!? It’s just a dumb beast_!”

“ _He’s done nothing wrong_!” Yahaba fought back, using his magic to blow ‘Eight’ away and off of Kyoutani. “ _He’s innocent, and you just attacked him_!”

“ _It’s a beast, get over yourself,_ ” Sato groaned, trying to push himself up. By the way he cradled his arm, it’s clear Yahaba accidently broke it when he slammed Sato into the ground. 

He feels the fight or flight sensation of being cornered, Sato and Ito glaring over at him and their beasts doing the same. It’s only Kyoutani who looked at him with confusion, no obvious intent of trying to come after him.

Yahaba reacted much quicker than he thought he would have three months ago when the first hex flies at him, and it’s deflected perfectly. Ito began to conjure another strike of magic when Kyoutani grabbed his leg, yanking Ito to the ground. ‘Nine’ kicked him in response, but Yahaba didn’t watch any further, focusing on Sato and ‘Eight’ who came at him head on.

In his current form, he’s surprised to find this past version of himself moving so fluidly, confident in his spell casting and defensive moves against Sato and ‘Eight.’ The Yahaba who lived through this moment is foreign to him, and it’s hard to believe he actually fought off a top tier wizard _and_ a beast whose only purpose had become to protect said wizard against his own will. 

In the intense battle, Yahaba notes the darkening of the sky, but his past self is more focused on fighting off ‘Eight’ and avoiding Sato’s hexes. Kyoutani eventually ended up coming closer to him as he fought ‘Nine,’ muttered words coming from him that Yahaba can’t comprehend. There’s a pause - barely a second, but it’s there - where Kyoutani looked back to Yahaba when they were close enough to touch, and it’s then that he said something directly to Yahaba.

It’s unfortunate that he doesn’t - and didn’t - understand the words, especially because the sound of Kyoutani’s voice gives Yahaba the impression that this wasn’t good.

Past Yahaba must have focused too hard on Kyoutani at that point, because his shoulder feels as though it’s burning from the spell Sato had shot at him. They return to their own fights, but Yahaba feels the body he’s not controlling grow weak from using too much magic. He’s almost ashamed, but Yahaba knows the version of him from three months ago was still new to using a lot of magic in one go.

An idea strikes him, but Yahaba isn’t sure of what it is, so he takes it to mean that his past self found a solution. He’s focused intently on Sato, his magic humming through his being and suddenly there were vines and roots shooting up from the ground, encasing Sato before taking hold of ‘Eight.’ With the two of them captured, Yahaba turned toward Kyoutani and he willed the same spell to encase Ito and ‘Nine.’ Kyoutani jumped back and rounded on Yahaba in surprise.

Pride swells through him when it’s clear the other two wizards were unable to break free, struggling within. Yahaba ignores their jeered words and cautiously walked towards Kyoutani.

“ _Can you understand me_?” He asked, and the Kyoutani of the past cocked his head to the side. “ _If you can, you should leave_ ,” Yahaba continued anyway, “ _I’m sorry for the trouble they caused you_...”

“Yovoisure,” Kyoutani snarled, his gaze focused on the trees above them. Yahaba glanced around but he doesn’t see anything - it’s clear that even then he didn’t know what Kyoutani was saying. 

Yahaba shook his head and Kyoutani growled in response. “ _I don’t know what you’re saying_ ,” he admitted, but he hesitated to say anything more when he noticed how silent it had gotten.

Specifically because Sato and Ito were no longer throwing insults at him.

Kyoutani’s eyes widened, and Yahaba whipped around to see what he was staring at. He feels his heart stutter into a wild rhythm, his blood run cold, and his stomach twist in response and Yahaba knows it’s a valid reaction - he’s almost shocked he didn’t pass out right then from the fear.

The heat from it’s mouth is enough to cause one to sweat on impact, like that of a sauna, and the stench of the heaving breaths would make even those with stomachs of iron retch. Yet, there is no mouth - none that he could see - and the body structure itself is hard to make out under the canopy of trees.

Yahaba tries to recall when it had grown so dark where they were. From what he could tell from before they met Kyoutani, it was early in the afternoon, not close to evening. As he tries to collect his thoughts, remind himself he lived through this and that it wasn’t currently happening, Yahaba remembers it growing dark when he came to stand beside Kyoutani for that brief moment.

The best he can do to describe this figure is that of a shadow - a large, intimidating shadow, almost the size of a large home like those just under high born status. The limbs that he can make out almost look human, but the shadows are shifting in the darkness from the storm clouds above, and Yahaba knows for a fact that the report on his mission never said anything about a storm occurring.

It could be on fire from the way it’s body seems to fade and shift, but it’s black and cold, not bright and warm like flames. There are no features, just illusions of ones that Yahaba’s mind tries to piece together. He cannot truly see anything in this shadow, but he believes he could see a human’s form in this shadow - twisted, mangled, and deformed, but still human.

And it was looming over them as though it’d been there the whole time.

Yahaba’s neck felt strained from staring up at it, and the silence the deafened the forest is broken from the sudden screams of Sato and Ito. Yahaba is shoved immediately after, and he watches in horror as the flickering black mass moves out like smoke and encases Sato and Ito into the darkness. He feels himself stay rooted to the spot, watching what he could of Sato and Ito’s bodies being ripped apart by the shadow.

Kyoutani growled something, but again it’s not a word he knows or ever knew, so Yahaba didn’t respond. He can feel the force of someone tugging on him, but Yahaba couldn’t move.

The silence that followed makes Yahaba’s ears ring, and anything Kyoutani said after is drowned out.

Those flame like shadows pulled away from the spot and all that was left is the limp corpses of Sato and Ito, their beasts in worse shape than they were. Yahaba feels the body he doesn’t control being shaken, so he’s glad that his past self finally turned to look at Kyoutani.

From the strain on his face, Kyoutani’s yelling at him, but Yahaba can’t hear him - all he hears is the ringing and the pounding of his frantic heart. He shook his head, the fear of watching his comrades die holding him down.

It’s the shifting of the darkness that makes Yahaba want to scream at his past self, to jump into action and do something about the approaching smoke that Kyoutani didn’t notice.

The way he is now is different than the version who lived through this memory, but he probably would have frozen too when the same darkness shot through Kyoutani’s chest, breaking his chestplate, and causing Kyoutani to become stiff and shiver in pain.

Not having a clue what could happen next - he knows Kyoutani isn’t dead, he knows the darkness isn’t actually cutting through him - Yahaba wishes nothing more than to be in control himself when the skin on Kyoutani’s chest begins to decay. It’s an odd thing to see as he watched the skin turn black from the central point of the shadow’s spear looking form, and just like porcelain, his skin breaks into cracks, spreading like webs from that same point.

He sees his own shaking hand reaching up, and Yahaba isn’t sure what his past self is trying to do. But he notes that there are no gloves, and his skin looks fine, and yet he feels like it’s not truly his hand.

Yahaba of the past tried to grab the shadow spear that’s sitting within Kyoutani’s chest, and he feels the power behind the spell being cast. He has no idea what it is though, and Yahaba begins to think this is someone else’s memory - how can you cast a spell you don’t know?

But the shadow is withering away, and Yahaba reached up with his other hand to help push it out of Kyoutani. It’s difficult, and Yahaba’s body is shaking from the amount of force he has to put into trying to push the shadow. The same decaying appearance spreads to his palms, but Yahaba doesn’t pay it mind. Kyoutani grabbed his wrists, his body heaving in such a way that Yahaba knows he’s having trouble breathing. He didn’t let the hold stop him, and Yahaba continues to push the darkness back, his wrists growing dark and gaining shattered cuts as well.

It finally recoiled completely out of Kyoutani, and Yahaba fell forward into the beast’s chest. They stared between one another, Kyoutani’s eyes wide and his lips shaking. Yahaba, at least from three months ago, seems to be preoccupied with what he’d done - his current self is trying not to think about Kyoutani’s lips trembling.

“ _I_...” He murmured, and his focus shifted to his hands to look at the decaying skin, “ _I have no idea… what I just did_...”

Kyoutani managed to reply around his shaking breaths, and Yahaba wonders what Kyoutani was trying to say. Pushing away from Kyoutani’s warmth, Yahaba pulled himself up and stared at the huge form that seemed to cower in response. Despite how much his legs shake and his own fears - both then and now - that he’ll collapse from exhaustion, Yahaba moved towards the shadow.

It screeches an awful sound, powerful enough to burst eardrums. Yahaba grabbed his ears, wincing at the sound, but still he moved forward. Once close enough, he reached out, and despite not being sure of what the spell is, Yahaba forced himself to recreate that magic.

The awful screams of the shadow probably did make his ears bleed, considering he vaguely feels the warmth of something pooling out of his ears. Yahaba didn’t bother to deal with it though, and his vision grew hazy the longer he stood beside the screaming and dying creature.

His knees buckled when the forest got a little brighter, and the creature grew silent - dead and gone, no doubt - but something catches him.

Yahaba can’t really see, and the memory is already growing hazy. Something about the scream, he’s sure of it, but Yahaba can’t think anymore as he stares up into Kyoutani’s eyes.

Except it’s not the canopy of trees behind him, it’s the ceiling of his bedroom. Yahaba blinks, and the pain in his ears and his hands are no longer there. There’s some twinge of a reminder from under his gloves - ah, yes, the gloves are there - and Yahaba gasps in shock.

“Yahaba? What happened?” Watari’s voice comes over him, clear as day and without any echoing like within the memory. Yahaba doesn’t look away from Kyoutani, gaping at the man who tried to save him in return.

Slowly, he reaches forward and touches the chest plate. It’s slightly different, not exactly like the one in the memory, he can tell that much. Kyoutani looks down at his hand and his eyes hold a sadness that Yahaba isn’t sure he could ever truly understand. Without hesitating, Kyoutani takes hold of Yahaba’s wrist, gently holding his hand in place while his other arm cradles him close.

“Uh… what’s going on?” Watari mumbles, but again Yahaba doesn’t respond to his friend.

“You saved me,” Yahaba whispers, and Kyoutani’s gaze slowly trails back up to meet his eyes. “And I… you were never in my debt because I _freed_ you. You were in debt to me because I…”

Kyoutani nods, “Yahaba save Kyoutani…”

Yahaba’s breath hitches and he wonders why Kyoutani couldn’t have said this sooner. He supposes he technically did, but Yahaba had just misunderstood what he meant by ‘save.’ His gaze shifts a little lower for a second, but Kyoutani catches it, because he does the same and Yahaba’s face grows warm.

“Please, for the love of all the Gods, do _not_ kiss each other right now,” Watari groans, and Yahaba flinches, pulling back from Kyoutani’s hold and pulling himself up. Kyoutani shifts away as well, but he remains at Yahaba’s side on the floor. Watari has a hand over his eyes, and he at least looks like he’s trying not to watch them. “Just… keep me in the loop, at least.”

Gathering his thoughts, Yahaba takes a deep breath. “Sato and Ito… they were killed by some… creature?”

“ _Yovoisure_ ,” Kyoutani nods, the word muttered under his breath.

Watari slowly turns back to look at them, a look of consideration on his face. “I… think that means shadow?”

Yahaba and Kyoutani both nod, and Watari raises a brow. Yahaba’s face flushes in response and he rubs at his neck. “It uh… looked like a sha—” he gasps and immediately leaps to his feet, surprising both Watari and Kyoutani. Yahaba hurries over to his book shelf and begins to pull books out until he finds the one he’s looking for.

“What is it?” Watari asks, coming over to stand by Yahaba as he slams the heavy book down and flip through pages. The table of contents is missing, which makes things harder. “That’s a book about—”

“Myths, yes, I know,” Yahaba snaps, skimming the pages and flipping through them a little more. “I just need to confirm something…”

Kyoutani comes to stand by the table as well, looking down at the pages being flipped at a fast rate. “ _Yovoisure_ real, Yahaba kill it.”

Watari hums, crossing his arms. “But what is this shadow creature exactly?”

Yahaba freezes, having found the chapter he’s looking for. “Hollow Body Phantom,” he whispers, and the room goes silent.


	10. Union

The Hollow Body Phantom was a warning to wizard children to avoid the darkness, for only the light could guide them home. It was in case wizard children got separated from their families and became lost, because the darkness would surely be their demise. 

It was believed that the real threat was in regards to beasts, at least that's how Yahaba had always thought of it. Children went missing, and it was usually because they would wander too far into the unmapped lands - be it in the Frozen North, the Lands of Autumn, or in the Dark Forest and Everblack Woods. Only in the Sun Blessed Desert did the stories hold no weight, the skies usually clear and fears of darkness rare. 

Aside from that, there was no proof of Hollow Body Phantom or it's Storm ever being real. It's stories told of death and how it's victims were never seen again, destroyed beyond repair, or they'd be a hollow shell of what they once were - dead, but only in mind. 

They weren't undead or anything; the stories stated that even though the bodies were limp and there was no sign of life, the victims were… almost breathing without actually breathing. It was hard to understand, but the victims who became hollow were as good as dead. 

Either way, an actual report of a Hollow Body Phantom attack was never actually made and Yahaba continued to believe the story was simply that - a story to scare children. 

Until now. 

“Hollow Body Phantom?” Kyoutani tries it, his words slow but precise for once. “What that?”

Yahaba stares at the inky image, the lines looking scribbled as though the artist didn't know how best to show the movement of the shadows. He knew what it was meant to look like and even then Yahaba couldn't say for sure how best to draw such a thing. “It's what I killed…”

Watari's gawking between them, his face pale. “Wh… what…? Th-that's not… _Yahaba_ , you killed…!”

“Hollow Body Phantom’s are unkillable,” Yahaba explains softly, knowing Kyoutani would probably ask what Watari is stuttering about, “only one known thing killed the Phantom before…”

“If the stories are true, you mean!” Watari hurries to say, shaking his head. “If they are… then lightning did come from some mythical creature!”

“Lightning?” Kyoutani asks, and while it would seem he's asking what lightning is, Yahaba knows he's asking what Watari means. 

“ _Acem_ ,” Yahaba says, remembering that's what Kyoutani called lightning. “And… _Yovoisure_ were enemies.”

Kyoutani scoffs. “Lightning make shadow, why enemy?”

“It was before,” Yahaba shakes his head, looking up from the book to focus on Kyoutani, “when lightning was a creature and not a natural storm occurrence.” Kyoutani stares at him, his brow furrowing in confusion. “Lightning was once known as Living Lightning - or at least that's what the stories called it, since it was supposedly a creature that lived in the clouds.”

“... _acemonal_?” Kyoutani asks, and Yahaba has no idea what that means - it just sounds like he added more to the original word. 

“That suffix means ‘creature,’ Yahaba,” Watari explains, “he's calling lightning a creature now.”

Yahaba looks between them before he focuses on Kyoutani again, his gaze going between Kyoutani’s eyes. “Your people… do you have the same stories?”

Kyoutani shrugs. “ _Acemonal_ no like people. Like flower. Children of _acemonal_ flower remember, hurt humans who eat for good sleep. But… _yovoisuronal_ not enemy. Humans enemy. _Yovoisuronal_ more… brother. No like, but no hate.”

Yahaba slowly turns to Watari. “Please tell me you understood that as Living Lightning and Hollow Body Phantom are like brothers and while they didn't like each other, they also didn't hate each other.”

“Yeah, that's how I understood it,” Watari nods, watching Kyoutani. “So… Living Lightning and Hollow Body Phantom are related in some way, but—”

“Does it really matter what their relationship is like?” Yahaba cuts in, picking up the book to look closer at the drawing of Hollow Body Phantom. “The point is that this is real, I apparently killed it, and this is actually a problem in our world!”

Watari frowns, “what do you mean ‘apparently?’ You killed it, right?”

Yahaba bites his lip and pulls the book closer. “I… don't know how I did it…”

“Magic,” Kyoutani states as though it were obvious, “Yahaba magic strong.”

“Well, I mean,” he flips the page, not really focusing on the words regarding the Phantom’s storm, “even if it was strong, I have no idea what that spell was.”

Watari’s face is screaming disbelief, fear, and awe all at once. “That… that's _insane_! Only the legendary wizards are capable of doing magic that no one can imagine!”

Yahaba rolls his eyes, “it's not like I'm a legend, Watari. I can imagine it, I mean I just saw it happen - but doing it again? I have no idea how I even did it in the first place.”

Kyoutani makes an odd noise - a mix between a growl and a groan - and shakes his head. “King know something, talk to him!”

They look to one another before focusing on Kyoutani. “You think Oikawa will have the answers?”

“King… suspicious,” Kyoutani tries out a new word and it impresses Yahaba just that little bit, “know something Yahaba don't.”

He means to respond to the statement, but Yahaba instead says, “why can't you just say ‘you’ or ‘me’ or ‘I’ or just in general use pronouns for once?”

Kyoutani's face drops to one of annoyance. “ _He_ know something _you_ don't.”

Smiling, Yahaba nods once. “Exactly; now was that so hard?”

“Fuck you,” Kyoutani spits and Yahaba rolls his eyes. 

“You can do that later,” Watari cuts in and immediately Yahaba’s face heats up in response, “for now, I think he's completely right. Go talk to King Oikawa.”

Clearing his throat and fluffing his hair, Yahaba nods again. “Right; and if you're right around Iwaizumi not being under control—”

“He not dead inside!”

“—you should come too,” Yahaba finishes, and Kyoutani looks a little surprised. “You said he's your leader. I think you should have a word with him in regards to him still being here.”

Kyoutani hesitates, but he eventually nods. “Okay, we go talk to Iwaizumi.”

Watari claps his hands once and they both turn to him. “In the meantime, I'm going to make a potion of certain death!” Silence follows this as Yahaba and Kyoutani stare at Watari. “What?”

“Watari, _why_ are you making a potion of _certain death_?”

He shrugs, “it's on the list of things Mizoguchi wants me to be able to identify, so in order to know what it is, I have to make it.”

It's makes sense, but Yahaba still feels uncomfortable with the idea of Watari saying it so casually. Kyoutani clicks his tongue and mutters “Watari evil” under his breath. Yahaba snickers, but Watari just glares at them both. 

“It's not evil if I can identify bad potions and keep the royal court safe,” Watari grumbles, turning to walk out the door. “Go figure out what the king knows, Yahaba, then let me know later what you find out.”

Yahaba waves to him, watching him leave before he turns to Kyoutani. “Let’s go talk to our leaders,” he says and Kyoutani grunts, moving to head out the door as well. 

They make it to Oikawa's room quickly, the halls dark from the candles being put out. It's late, far later than Yahaba has even been outside of his chambers, but he can't take the time to care right now. 

It takes a while for anyone to answer the door once he knocks, but eventually Iwaizumi is pulling it open and glaring out at them, warm hues from the soft lighting within framing his features. 

“I need to speak to the king,” Yahaba says, pushing past the beast without a care. Iwaizumi doesn't stop him, trying to act as though he has no free will still. Oikawa is shuffling out from the area his bed should be, stifling a yawn and scratching his head when Yahaba comes to stand before him. “We need to talk,” is all he says, and he waits for his king. 

The sleepwear he has on is just a simple, baggy shirt - it covers down to the top half of his thighs, and Yahaba isn't sure if he has pants on. Oikawa’s necklace is on proud display now though, as if he no longer cares if Yahaba sees it. He leans against the wall, arms crossed casually and a brow raised. “Do we?”

“You said to come back once I've seen my memories—”

“I didn't think you'd come and wake me in the middle of the night,” Oikawa sighs, but he smiles, “but you're no fool. Something bad happened, right?”

Yahaba nods, slowly grabbing hold of and pulling off his right glove. He holds the darkened skin up to show it better to Oikawa, and the king focuses on the old wound. 

His face drops from the playful smirk to a more serious expression. 

“What do you think did this?” Yahaba asks, voice soft. 

Oikawa stares at Yahaba’s arm, the destroyed skin and the dark patches of what could have decayed away. “... do you know?”

“I'm asking you if you do, Oikawa,” Yahaba's voice is shaking now. “Do you know what happened to me?”

“No,” Oikawa admits, and it's hard to not believe him, “the only thing I can tell is that you faced something strong; that it wasn't something you could beat, so you used something you otherwise shouldn't have been able to, and it ripped through your skin…”

Yahaba gapes at him. “Wh… what do you think it could have been?”

Oikawa shakes his head, eyes glassy, “I can only think of one thing, and I hope I’m wrong.”

Yahaba bites his lip, feeling himself try to fall apart but unwilling to let go. “You think it's a Hollow Body Phantom, don't you?” Oikawa closes his eyes, and Yahaba knows he's right. “You're right, you know…”

“So it's true,” Oikawa whispers, pushing away and going to a shelf he has to grab a couple glasses and fill it with some brown liquid. “I'm so sorry you had to relive something you'd forgotten…”

“It's better that I did remember,” Yahaba counters, pulling the glove back on and coming to stand at Oikawa’s side. “What does this mean?”

Oikawa hands him one of the glasses before pouring more into the second glass, downing it quickly. “That's the question, isn't it? Iwa-chan couldn't even explain it to me…”

Yahaba blinks, looking up from the glass in confusion. “Iwa… chan?”

There's a beat of silence where it seems Oikawa has realized what he said and is trying to think of a way out of it. Instead he ends up sighing and tapping his finger to the pendant around his neck. “My husband…”

“Husband?” Yahaba mumbles before he quickly turns to Kyoutani who's standing beside Iwaizumi and staring at the floor. Yahaba focuses on Iwaizumi, who's sending a glare back to him. “Iwa-chan…?”

Kyoutani scoffs and turns to his leader, “ _Iwa-chan_?”

Iwaizumi slowly looks to Kyoutani and his glare deepens. “Don't say another word, Kyoutani.”

Oikawa huffs a laugh and moves around Yahaba to stand beside Iwaizumi, putting an arm around the beast’s shoulders and leaning into him. “ _Yes_ , I call him Iwa-chan, KyouKen-chan; what of it?”

Kyoutani growls and steps away, almost as though he felt threatened. Iwaizumi rolls his eyes and focuses on Oikawa now. “KyouKen? Really? Please stop with the nicknames, you idiot,” he says, the words smooth and only slightly accented. Oikawa pouts in response, glancing to his glass for a moment before drinking what was left. 

Yahaba straightens and comes to stand by Kyoutani to look directly at Oikawa and Iwaizumi. “I'm sorry, when the hell did you marry a beast?” Kyoutani grunts and Yahaba rounds on him. “And did you know this before?”

“Yes,” Kyoutani says, glaring at his leader, “Iwaizumi claim Yahaba king.”

Iwaizumi frowns, leaning back into Oikawa’s weight. “What's with that speech?”

Yahaba crosses his arms and glares at Kyoutani as well. “No kidding, Iwaizumi seems to be speaking fine. Why can't you?”

Iwaizumi laughs suddenly then and Yahaba jumps, turning back to Kyoutani’s leader. “I get it; he doesn't want to admit he knows wizard language. Kyoutani’s always been stubborn…”

Oikawa laughs with him and Yahaba watches Kyoutani’s ears turn red at the tips, both seeming to fall a little in response. Yahaba watches him, concern fluttering in his stomach before he catches Kyoutani’s attention. He stands a little straighter and their leaders stop their laughing. 

“So now that all of that is out of the way,” Oikawa starts, taking the untouched glass from Yahaba’s hand and replacing it with his empty one, “let's talk about this memory.”

Yahaba shakes his head, “no, first you need to tell me when this happened; how long have you been married to him? How long has he had his free will?”

Oikawa sighs and rests his head against Iwaizumi’s, who responds by wrapping his arm around Oikawa’s waist. The whole thing is ridiculously domestic and Yahaba grows uncomfortable watching them. “A week after my coronation celebration, I got sick of his dead eyes and gave him his free will back,” Yahaba's eyes widen. A whole year and no one had realized the king’s beast wasn't under the control of the device. Oikawa narrows his eyes as he looks at the liquid swirling inside his cup, “he responded by telling me he needed my help and that we needed to put aside this war, but…”

“It's not so easy ending a war based on racism,” Iwaizumi finishes for him, watching Oikawa swirl the drink as well. “You wizards are so against my people, it doesn't seem we’ll ever solve the real problem.”

Yahaba hesitates, gulping slightly before he asks, “the real problem… you mean the Hollow Body Phantom?”

Iwaizumi nods, focusing on Yahaba now. “And you killed one,” he whispers before his eyes fall onto Kyoutani. “That’s what he was saying when we found you two.”

Kyoutani is staring at his feet and Yahaba gapes at him. “You… you spoke with them when we were found?”

Kyoutani shrugs, shaking his head. “Don't remember… scary time… Yahaba unconscious…”

Oikawa nods, humming a little. “Yeah, he seemed a little out of it. It took knocking him out to be able to pull you out of his arms. But Iwa-chan said he was muttering something about a shadow, so we grew more anxious about the issue.”

Yahaba gulps, trying to think of what they could do. “What do we know for sure about the Hollow Body Phantom? Like, are we certain this is a problem that needs to be dealt with? Is humanity threatened by it’s existence?”

“Yes,” Oikawa states simply enough, “but wait, I thought you wanted to know how things happened between Iwa-chan and I?”

Rolling his eyes, Yahaba crosses his arms and nods towards the couple. “Yeah yeah, explain it so we’re all on the same page here.”

Oikawa grins, but Iwaizumi looks as though he’s suffering. “Well, over time of having to work together and keeping such a big secret about Iwa-chan having his free will, things just sort of… happened.”

Yahaba raises a brow, “and about when did this occur?”

“Six months ago,” Iwaizumi deadpans, shaking his head, “do we really need to explain our relationship?”

“Yes,” Kyoutani snaps, and Yahaba’s surprised he jumped in, “King no smell like Iwaizumi other day - when claim happen?”

Iwaizumi narrows his eyes, “speak like a normal person, Kyoutani, what the hell…”

“No, answer question,” Kyoutani growls, glaring right back. Yahaba looks between the two beasts and wonders why Kyoutani would speak this way to his leader.

Iwaizumi sighs though and just nods, “fine, fine. I guess it happened two days ago, but the wizard marriage was yesterday night.”

Yahaba gapes at them, “wait but I… I was here two days ago…”

“Yeah, and then Iwa-chan claimed me,” Oikawa smiles sweetly, but Yahaba feels his face burn in response, “and last night, Mattsun married us in the sight of the gods.”

Kyoutani scoffs and crosses his arms, “take six month for claim, stupid leader…”

Iwaizumi growls, his glare turning murderous. “ _Sorry_ I didn’t want to just claim some wizard, Kyoutani!”

“You like him, he like you, so just claim,” Kyoutani shrugs, “what problem? Why so long?”

“Clearly you have no idea how relationships work,” Iwaizumi grumbles, and Oikawa laughs.

“Believe me, if I had realized Iwa-chan was this into me six months ago, this marriage would have already happened!” Oikawa grins, nuzzling Iwaizumi’s hair with his cheek.

Yahaba’s still feeling a little shocked. “So I… I figured out you were married… _right_ after it happened?”

Oikawa nods, looking apologetic as he stands a little straighter. “I courted Iwa-chan for six months and when he asked to claim me, I asked him if he would marry me. That was last week, but… first, we had to take care of something else.”

“What do you mean?”

He nods towards Yahaba now, “we needed you to confirm the memory you lost involved the Hollow Body Phantom.”

Yahaba stares between them and feels his shoulders drop. “But… I only just confirmed it, why didn’t you wait if that was the issue?”

“Mattsun suggested we go through with it sooner,” Oikawa mutters, avoiding his eyes as he speaks up, “we are the leaders of our people, Yahaba. We can’t just marry for love or claim someone because we want to.”

Iwaizumi nods, “this is the first step into figuring out a way to put an end to our war and have the people go along with it.”

He thinks he understands. “You married for political purposes,” Yahaba mumbles, “a king and the leader of beasts unifying to end a war. Marriage is definitely what would seal that union…”

“Exactly,” Oikawa agrees, finally meeting his eyes, “it’s just lucky that we fell in love in the process of working things out.”

“But you’re only one king and one tribe leader,” Yahaba points out, “there are other kingdoms and other tribes out there! They’re not all going to go along with it just because one king married the tribe leader for the beasts in the Dark Forest!”

“They will fall in line when our people and theirs begin to see the danger lurking in their skies,” Iwaizumi defends, his voice grave. He looks over to the table map, and Yahaba turns to look as well.

The dark cloud hanging over parts of Seijou’s land and above the Dark Forest is there once again, the black smoke coiling within itself.

Yahaba’s mouth falls open as he stares at it. “Is that…?”

“A Hollow Body Storm,” Oikawa confirms, separating from Iwaizumi to stand over his map like every other time Yahaba has come to visit. “A large one is forming over Seijou as we speak…”

He shivers at the thought, “how… how do you know it’s there?”

“I’ve enchanted this table to show me all forecasts, and to tell me where our allies and enemies are,” Oikawa answers, gesturing to the eagle figurine passing around the mountains. “It updates every hour or so… looks like the Johzenji trading group will be here by late tomorrow or the day after if they continue at the speed they’re moving.”

Yahaba doesn’t want to think about anyone from Johzenji right now. “So why did you need me to confirm it? It sounds like you already knew about Hollow Body Storms forming and what happened to me. Actually,” Yahaba glances briefly to Kyoutani before he looks to his king again, “it seems to me you knew everything I already did and then some. You weren’t even surprised Kyoutani had his free will.”

Oikawa turns from his table slowly, crossing his arms and rolling his head a little as though he’s considering his response. “I actually didn’t know you’d given Sixteen his free will. Or, well… Kyoutani, since that’s what you and Iwa-chan call him.”

“He said you defended me,” Yahaba pushes forward, and Oikawa looks a little surprised. “Kyoutani did, I mean. That the Magic Council was going to do away with me after that mission, but you stepped in and told them to give me Kyoutani.” His king’s face betrays no emotion now. “Why did you do it…?”

Oikawa shrugs, licking his lips as he looks around the room. “You… you’re like me, Yahaba,” he finally says, and Yahaba isn’t sure whether that’s good or not. “I never liked the experiments on beasts, but… how would the new king of Seijou look if he refused the Magic Council’s gift?”

“... how did you know I didn’t like it either?”

“I could tell based upon how you’d look at Iwa-chan sometimes,” Oikawa nods a little, more to himself than anything, “or any beast for that matter. You also looked so uncomfortable when you were given Sixteen that I knew I made the right choice… how long did it take?”

Yahaba’s head tilts to the side and his brows furrow. “What do you mean?”

“How long until you figured out how to free him?” Oikawa asks, and Yahaba is worried he’ll laugh when he finds out.

But he can never keep anything from his king. “... three months…”

Oikawa’s eyebrows shoot up and he looks genuinely… impressed? “That’s amazing; my research took three months as well.”

Yahaba gawks at him, “what?”

“I researched before my coronation - oh, don’t look at me like that, I knew I’d be getting a beast as soon as I was told I was heir to that old man,” Oikawa rolls his eyes, “and it was hard then, too. Only three experiments of notes before Iwa-chan, I was so afraid I was going to kill him…”

Iwaizumi clicks his tongue, “lucky you didn’t.”

Oikawa smiles his sweet, supposedly innocent smile. “Very lucky - look at my hot husband!”

Yahaba very decidedly doesn’t look at Iwaizumi, especially when he hears the growl of annoyance. 

“Anyway, how long has he had free will?”

“Two days…”

Oikawa’s eyes flick over to Kyoutani and his eyes narrow. “So you _were_ purposefully ignoring me that day, huh? To think, I actually believed Yahaba’s story…”

Kyoutani grunts very simply, “fuck you,” and Yahaba slowly turns to gape at him.

Iwaizumi immediately busts out laughing and Oikawa’s face becomes blank, as though he can’t even comprehend what was just said to him. “ _Kyoutani_...!” Yahaba hisses through his teeth, but his beast just rolls his eyes.

“Whatever…”

“You’re the _worst_!”

Iwaizumi stops laughing long enough to put a hand onto Yahaba’s shoulder, gaining his attention again. “How did you get him to stay, by the way? Kyoutani is stubborn, he’d never stay for more than a day if he can help it…”

Yahaba straightens, frowning a little. “He said he owed his life to me; he also said the Magic Council wants me dead, so he’ll protect me.”

Iwaizumi raises a brow before he focuses on Kyoutani now. Yahaba listens, but he doesn’t understand a single word said; glancing to Oikawa, he can tell his king is also at a loss. When Kyoutani responds, his speech much faster than how he’d talk to Watari, Yahaba moves over to his king and sighs.

“What’s the plan then?” Yahaba asks, leaving the two beasts to speak with one another. Oikawa looks down at the map, watching the pieces update and how very few things move - it seems only the eagle for Shiratorizawa’s troops has moved this time despite it being night. “What exactly can we do against a Hollow Body Phantom?”

Oikawa doesn’t answer for a moment, the only sound in the room coming from a conversation they can’t understand. “I’m not sure; you’re the one who killed it.”

“And you’re the one who said it looks like I used a power I otherwise shouldn’t have been able to,” Yahaba counters, gingerly touching his wrist. Oikawa nods, his chest rising and falling in a silent sigh. “So… what do you need me to do now?”

“For now, I need you to rest - jumping into a memory like that, especially after such a long day, is taxing on the body,” he answers softly, “plus it’s late. Iwa-chan is cranky in the mornings if we don’t sleep for very long and you _did_ wake us.”

Yahaba nods. “Sorry about that… and, congratulations… on the marriage, I mean.”

Oikawa smiles a little, “thank you. It was a very small, but beautiful ceremony. Do you want to see it?”

“Huh…?”

Oikawa puts his hand up, and from the other side of the room a small vial floats it’s way to him. “This is made from the potion you made earlier - by adding my own magic, and a thought of my happiest memory, it made a slightly different potion. If you drink it, you’ll get to see the memory like you did yours, only… it shouldn’t be through my eyes, I think.”

Yahaba takes the offered vial and looks between it and his king. “I…”

“Just drink it and tell me how handsome we both were,” Oikawa mumbles, a small smirk on his lips.

Gulping, Yahaba hesitates before he brings it to his lips. It’s cold, but not as icy as the potion he drank earlier. It’s also sweet like a cake, the light fizzing on his tongue tickling him a little.

And then he’s standing in the same spot, but the room is well lit, a beautiful setting sun shining through the high rise windows. The table is gone, magically stored away for the four people standing by the windows.

Matsukawa is saying something, but Yahaba can’t hear him - he imagines it’s the wedding ceremony, performed by those blessed by gods like most of the hands and some other members of the royal court - and in front of him stands Oikawa and Iwaizumi, the two looking into one another’s eyes with the softest expressions he’s ever seen from either man.

Oikawa’s outfit is stunning; white with teal and gold swirls that curl and twist along the hems, sparklingly in the light. His crown sits proudly on his head, glistening beautifully above his curls. The sleeves on his shirt are long, hemming down to hang gracefully from his arms. His boots sit just above his knees, and the cape that hangs off his shoulders comes to just above that. Yahaba’s king looked just as amazing as he usually does.

It’s Iwaizumi who looks completely different though.

He’s not wearing the ripped, rough cloth he usually wears over his chest. Instead, Iwaizumi’s chest is completely unclothed, the wounds he hides underneath open for the world to see. It’s distracting how awful one of the cuts looks, crossing over his chest and cutting down towards his stomach; clearly, the wound didn’t heal correctly from it’s mangled appearance, and yet the man is still attractive despite the wound. The tattoos on his arms and face seem to glow in this light, and what little armor he does wear is still wrapped around his lower half - only now the metal shines and the cloth there looks almost brand new. Almost like magic. Iwaizumi’s animal skin boots also seems to be glistening, as though they were shined to perfection.

They were perfect for one another, that much Yahaba could tell. He’s not able to look away, his focus only on the couple as they reach up to fasten their necklaces around the other’s neck. The pendants match, and the dark red flames flicker under the sun’s setting rays. 

The fourth person doesn’t even really hold Yahaba’s attention until the newly married couple kiss and he sees the other start to clap. His vision goes dark as he stares at Kindaichi in surprise, and suddenly he’s back to the present, standing beside Oikawa.

“Kindaichi,” he whispers, and Oikawa frowns.

“Yes, he was the witness,” he answers, “Mattsun had him make a sealed promise to never reveal he was our witness in the sight of the gods until Iwa-chan and I told people.”

Yahaba focuses on Oikawa then, desperate to see if he knows anything else. “What other secrets did Matsukawa make him promise to keep?”

Oikawa shakes his head, “I only know of the one. Why? Is… is Kindaichi okay?”

“He… he said he was fine,” Yahaba mumbles, deciding not to push it any further. “And yes, you both looked handsome. I wish I could have been - it was very beautiful.”

Oikawa grins and laughs, “of course it was! It was my wedding.”

“It was ridiculous,” Iwaizumi cuts in, and they both turn to the beasts. “All those promises… what’s the point? I’ll do them anyway, but why do your gods care?”

Oikawa gives a dramatic sigh. “Oh, my sweet sweet husband, the gods only care because we want them to…”

Iwaizumi rolls his eyes, “whatever you say, my one…”

Yahaba’s sends him a look. “Your… one?”

“I chose him, he’s my one and only,” Iwaizumi shrugs, “it doesn’t translate well into wizard language… _vashuco_ is the word in our language.”

“Then call me _vashuco_ , husband!” Oikawa declares, moving to hug Iwaizumi. “It sounds so cute! If you really wanted, you could even call me love!”

“ _Vashuco_ is fine,” Iwaizumi grumbles, grimacing when Oikawa begins to kiss his cheek. Yahaba looks away again. “It’s late, you both should go…”

Yahaba nods, gesturing for Kyoutani to follow him. He pauses when he remembers something, turning back to Oikawa. “Will you call for me once you’ve figured out what I can do to help?”

Oikawa waves him off with a soft smile, “of course. For now, go to bed, my wonderful student. You’ve done well.”

Yahaba bows a little and hurries to leave with Kyoutani at his side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you guys believe it's only been three days in story? Crazy, am I right? :^) 
> 
> (if I ever said anything in story that contradicts this, direct me to it because shit, that's a lot of words to have to go through and find out when days ended to figure it out...)


	11. Feelings

Kyoutani removes the same armor he had the night before and climbs into Yahaba’s bed without a word, pulling the covers around himself once he lays down. Yahaba watches from the entrance, uncertain of where to start. 

“Hey,” he tries, voice soft, “you know… you can remove the chest plate…” Yahaba climbs up onto his bed as well when Kyoutani doesn't move to respond. Sitting beside the lump under the covers, Yahaba pokes at what he thinks is Kyoutani’s shoulder. “Hey, it can't be comfortable to sleep with it on… take it off,” he tries again, and Kyoutani twitches under the blanket. 

“Why?” Is the mumbled response that comes from underneath. “Kyoutani fine… _I’m_ fine…”

Yahaba sighs and shakes his head. “I can't believe you were so stubborn that you refused to speak to me normally before…”

“Fuck you,” Kyoutani mutters, pulling the cover down and rolling to look up at Yahaba. “No change?”

Rolling his eyes, he shakes his head, “I haven't changed yet, but first I think you should get more comfortable.”

Kyoutani sits up, narrowing his eyes. “Yahaba get more comfortable too,” he nods to Yahaba’s clothes, and Yahaba shivers at the thought of changing in front of Kyoutani again. 

“I will in a minute, just,” he reaches out and touches the leather chest plate. It's much more obvious now that there's some kind of divet in the center of it where the Hollow Body Phantom cut through the armor. Yahaba hesitates a moment, feeling the cut in the armor before he focuses on the straps, reaching around to unclasp it. 

He's honestly surprised Kyoutani is letting him remove the armor, but Yahaba doesn't question it. Once the clasp comes undone, Yahaba grabs the plate and pulls it off, revealing the wound underneath. 

Kyoutani’s chest looks as bad as he remembers - blackened skin with cracks like a broken porcelain vase, dark red scars coming away from the center like spider webs that weave their way over the cracked, and the dark skin spreading out towards the smooth flesh of the rest of Kyoutani’s body. It's easier to see now that the black area is doing something similar to the scars, some of it looking like inky smoke bleeding into skin, other areas spreading like thin, tiny black scars. The center though looks as if it could have a hole in it, the blacked spot appearing to be falling away to nothing. 

“I'm sorry,” Yahaba whispers, finally looking up to Kyoutani’s face. “I wish I had stopped it sooner…”

Kyoutani shakes his head. “Yahaba save Kyoutani, that all that matter.”

He holds back his smirk and sighs in place of the laughter caught in his throat. “I know you can speak normally, why don't you?”

“Yahaba change clothes, go sleep,” Kyoutani answers instead, shifting to lie back into the bed again. Yahaba watches him for a moment before turning and jumping from the bed, going to the wardrobe to change. He takes the armor with him and places it on top of the other pieces Kyoutani had left on the floor by his boots.

He doesn't feel the same sensation as that morning while he changes clothes, and Yahaba isn't sure if that's a good thing or not. 

Once changed, Yahaba turns to the bed and stops. Glancing down, he sees the gloves still in place and considers them a moment. 

Kyoutani has taken off his chest plate; should he do the same with the gloves?

Deciding to ignore the thought, Yahaba continues forward to the bed and climbs in on his side, using his magic to put out the candles quickly before lying down himself. 

Before he can roll to put his back to Kyoutani, he feels something grab his wrist and he panics. Looking over in the darkness, all he can see is the glowing gold eyes Kyoutani possesses. He stares up at him, willing his eyes to see through the darkness to better see him. 

“Yahaba be comfortable too,” Kyoutani mumbles, and Yahaba takes in a sharp breath when he feels Kyoutani's fingers begin to glide under the glove, but he pulls it away before Kyoutani can remove it completely. 

“I…” he hesitates, holding his hands to his chest. Those glowing eyes are zeroed in on his face, but Yahaba doesn't know if Kyoutani can see him. “I'm not… ready to take these off…”

There's silence as he hovers above Yahaba, but eventually those eyes move away and Yahaba feels the bed dip as Kyoutani returns to his own space. 

Yahaba waits, but Kyoutani never says anything. Deciding that nothing will be said now, Yahaba rolls to his side and stares out into the darkness of his room. The days events suddenly weigh on him and Yahaba feels his body sag in relief before he completely falls under the spell of sleep. 

When he wakes up, it's to find Kyoutani at the table, slowly shuffling the cards in silence. His back is to Yahaba, and his armor is back in place without any sign of having come off. 

Glancing to the side, Yahaba sees the covers were messily thrown back in place and he tries not to think about how Kyoutani had slept there twice now. 

The day continues in this quiet routine, neither speaking to the other. Kyoutani doesn't meet his gaze and instead focuses on other things. Yahaba takes this time to read more about the Hollow Body Phantom, but he plays with the ends of his gloves and wonders what would have been different if he had let Kyoutani take them off.

He’s unable to focus on the book at all and instead, when he finally comes back from his thoughts, he finds himself staring at Kyoutani. Yahaba’s face is burning within the first hour of silence when he finally decides to collect breakfast - he doesn’t ask if Kyoutani wants to come, and Kyoutani doesn’t ask where he’s going.

Watari is talking to Nishinoya when he gets to the dining hall, and Yahaba catches sight of ‘Three’ standing against the wall near by. He wonders what Nishinoya’s opinion is in regards to the beasts, but he’s not sure how to go about asking. Yahaba goes over to them, nodding in kind to Nishinoya as Watari continues on with whatever he’s saying to the Karasuno top tier.

“... mythical creatures to be real? Honestly, it seems too insane to be true,” Watari shakes his head, “but if they were, what would we even do? Magic can’t defeat them, right?”

Nishinoya seems to consider his words when he perks up, “we have beasts, of course! Three would definitely be able to handle it!”

“Have you ever considered it to be slavery?” Yahaba blurts out, and they both turn to stare at him. His jaw shifts and Yahaba considers leaving before he says anything more, “I… never mind, ignore me—”

“No, no, wait!” Nishinoya rushes to say, grabbing Yahaba’s arm. “I… I have, sort of… but more like, I’ve wondered what Three thinks of me.”

They turn to the beast in question. He’s staring straight ahead, his eyes dull and stance firm. In comparison, ‘Three’s eyes hold no light like Kyoutani’s - or even Iwaizumi’s now that Yahaba thinks about it - and it’s hard to imagine any thought crossing his mind. ‘Three’ truly is under the influence of the device, and Yahaba has to look away.

Nishinoya turns back to him, frown in place. “Sometimes, I don’t know what to do with him… the fact that he shows no emotion is creepy enough, and sure I can tell him to smile but… he’s not like Ten, that’s for sure.”

Yahaba frowns, “which one is ‘Ten’?”

“Ten belongs to Kageyama,” Nishinoya shrugs, “I think he used to live in Seijou years ago, but then he just showed up in Karasuno and has since proven himself to the Kingdom. It was weird the Magic Council didn’t give him a beast sooner, but he seemed pretty uncomfortable with Ten when he got him a few months ago. Ten’s adorable though, super tiny next to Kageyama, but still a strong one.”

Yahaba thinks he might know who Kageyama is - Oikawa mentioned someone from his past having competed with him for the attention of the royal court back before he ever gained a teacher of his own. Kageyama was, from what Yahaba understood, a natural with spellcasting and Oikawa (he’d never admit it, but it was pretty clear by how he didn’t want to talk about him) was completely intimidated by Kageyama. He never did find out what happened to Kageyama, the only thing he could find out from other people being that Oikawa’s rival had eventually left Seijou and all the attention was focused onto Oikawa once again.

“Karasuno also has ‘Twelve,’ right?” Watari asks, and Nishinoya nods. “Wow, Seijou only has ‘Four’ and ‘Sixteen’ - the Magic Council didn’t seem to want to give us more after ‘Eight’ and ‘Nine’...”

Nishinoya looks confused, “no one really heard about Sixteen, but what happened to Eight and Nine?”

“Obviously they died,” a voice says and Yahaba jumps, turning quickly to the source. It doesn’t take much searching for the source, as the man walking towards them is staring directly at him. It also doesn’t take long for Yahaba to notice the golden crescent moon pinned to his shirt, immediately denoting him as the Hand of the King in Fukurodani, Konoha Akinori. There’s another man following close behind, who looks extremely intimidating.

Yahaba shudders, trying to remind himself that hardly anyone knew about him or his mission - no one even knew about Kyoutani - so Lord Konoha can’t possibly know.

Lord Konoha stops beside Yahaba and focuses on Nishinoya, “at least that’s what our king was told, but how was never stated. It didn’t take long for everyone in Fukurodani to piece together that Seijou’s top tiers who owned them were dead too.”

“It…” Yahaba didn’t mean to speak, but now they’re all looking at him and he gulps, “it was… an absolute tragedy to have lost Sato and Ito, but also ‘Eight’ and ‘Nine,’ who were innocent…”

“Innocent?” Konoha asks, huffing a laugh, “if they were so innocent, why make them slaves?” He points to ‘Three,’ and Yahaba notices that Nishinoya stands a little straighter on impulse. “What makes us better than them? Beasts should be free, not mindless slaves.”

Nishinoya gawks up at him, and Yahaba feels himself doing the same. “I…”

“That’s why no one in Fukurodani can accept the beasts the Magic Council may offer to them,” Konoha scoffs, crossing his arms. “King Bokuto has forbidden slavery in Fukurodani, and that extends to this bullshit mind control done to beasts. It’s a shame none of you know about the fifth beast…”

Yahaba knows he agrees with what Konoha is saying, but he can’t bring it up just yet. He can’t reveal what he’s done for Kyoutani, not in the dining hall with so many people around, and he gulps anyway. “The… fifth beast?” He quietly asks instead, uncertain of what Konoha means.

The fifth beast, ‘Five,’ was gifted to Shiratorizawa’s king nearly two months after ‘Four’ was gifted to Oikawa. He’d never heard of anything with Fukurodani, or what the story behind ‘Five’ had to do with their kingdom.

Konoha nods, “the fifth beast. You all think the fifth one was gifted to King Ushijima, but the reality is that less than a month after ‘Four’ was given to King Oikawa, another beast was offered to King Bokuto - the first beast called ‘Five’...” Yahaba stands a little straighter, intently listening. “King Bokuto took one look at this ‘Five’ and decided it was slavery, and he used his magic to rip away the device in one move - all without harming the beast. The beast was grateful and chose to remain at King Bokuto’s side, making his own choices to come and go as he pleases; the only condition King Bokuto gave was for ‘Five’ to tell him his real name.”

Yahaba’s jaw is hanging open, and he wonders for a split second whether or not he looked ridiculous. He closes his mouth and gulps, glancing to the top tier from Fukurodani before looking back at Lord Konoha. “So he… he’s free?”

“Under the king’s protection, Akaashi is free and safe from the Magic Council,” Konoha nods, and Yahaba feels lighter at the idea. Another beast, free from mind control. And the idea of it…

How powerful is King Bokuto that he was able to rip away the device with only one spell? And was this Akaashi truly free in that sense? He’d have to be, if he comes and goes as he pleases. On top of that, would King Bokuto know what spell Yahaba had used?

Nishinoya jumps forward, gaining Konoha’s attention as well as Yahaba’s. “W-would he be able to free Three?!”

Konoha looks taken aback by this, “I… wait, you want to free him?”

“Maybe!” Nishinoya declares, and some high borns and royal court members have begun to glance in their direction. In fact, the area around them has gone very quiet. Nishinoya doesn’t seem to mind, instead he focuses on Yahaba. “Yahaba, you want to free Sixteen too, right?!”

Yahaba gapes at him and tries to think of something to say - the answer is yes, of course, but Kyoutani was already free - when Konoha coughs and shakes his head. “I wouldn’t voice that too loudly if I were you, top tier.”

“Why not?” Nishinoya frowns, brows furrowing as he thinks about this. “Three should be free, right? All of them should be, right…?”

“Well, yes,” Konoha sighs, rubbing his neck, “but it’s not easy. The Kingdom of Fukurodani has gotten backlash from the Magic Council because of this… _betrayal_ , as they called it. Even Fukurodani’s council representative, Yamiji, personally came and lectured him…”

Yahaba nods slowly, biting his lip. “The Magic Council makes the final decisions for every kingdom,” he mutters, and Nishinoya turns to him, “the kings and queen may make decisions, but it’s not official until the Magic Council agrees. So if any of the kings or the queen decides something without consulting the council—”

“The Magic Council makes choices that hinder that specific kingdom from progressing any further,” Konoha finishes, shaking his head. “No other beast has been offered to Fukurodani, not out of respect to what King Bokuto declared, but as a way to show their own power over the kingdoms.”

Nishinoya’s shoulders droop and he glances back to ‘Three.’ Those who had turned towards them before were now returning to their own conversations, as though they hadn’t been listening. Yahaba sees Daichi stand from his seat on the opposite side of the room and say something to ‘Two,’ who immediately comes towards them after Daichi goes to leave. Nishinoya notices ‘Two’ approach and turns back to Konoha, bowing respectfully. Yahaba stares over at ‘Two,’ shuddering from the dullness in his eyes that matches ‘Three’s.

“Thank you for the information, Lord Konoha. I have to go now,” Nishinoya stands straight again and nods to Yahaba and Watari, turning to follow after ‘Two,’ with ‘Three’ hurrying after him.

As the usual noise of chatter and sound of forks on plates returns in full swing, Yahaba figures the conversation is over. Konoha focuses on him, and Yahaba expects for him to pardon himself only to feel his blood run cold at the words “were you going to say yes?”

“Excuse me?” Yahaba mumbles, staring at the Hand of the King in Fukurodani with wide eyes. “Yes… to what, exactly?”

“He asked if you also wanted to free your beast,” Konoha keeps his voice low, leaning closer so Yahaba can hear him. “Actually, more importantly… despite having slavery towards beasts outlawed, Fukurodani is notified of any announcements for every beast gifted. The last one was ‘Fifteen’ gifted to a top tier in Shiratorizawa again, but there’s been nothing about a sixteenth beast.”

Yahaba gulps and shakes his head slowly, “I’m not sure what you mean… ‘Sixteen’ is my beast, but I can’t say for sure why no one was told about him.”

Konoha leans back and narrows his eyes. “Strange, isn’t it?”

“Very, my lord,” Yahaba agrees, and holds his tongue.

Nodding, Konoha glances back to his friend and nods towards the exit. “Let’s go, Washio - Lord Matsukawa asked for the hands to meet after breakfast this morning.”

The top tier, Washio - and Yahaba’s heard of him, of course he has, most top tiers in Fukurodani are amazing - nods back, gaze flicking over Yahaba for a moment before they both turn and leave the dining hall. Yahaba watches them go, finally focusing back on Watari.

“We need to talk,” he says quickly before Watari can say anything, and Watari nods vigorously.

Without another word, they turn and leave the dining hall and hurry to the east tower in silence. As soon as Yahaba steps through the doorway, Watari is grabbing his shoulder and turning him around to face him. “What did the king tell you?”

Yahaba takes a deep breath and tries to think of how best to start this off. Instead, he blurts out the last thing he should be saying - “Oikawa married Iwaizumi!”

Watari stares at him, blinking twice as he pulls back and then once when he slowly looks towards the windows. “... that’s the last thing I expected to hear, but okay…?”

“Sorry,” Yahaba mumbles, rubbing his arm. His fingers graze the hem of his glove, and immediately he drops his hand. “I wasn’t supposed to tell anyone, but Kyoutani didn’t seem to be bothered or shocked by it…”

“Kyoutani was probably thinking of claiming you,” Watari mutters and rolls his eyes. Yahaba feels his cheeks instantly burn at this and Watari sighs. “I don’t know why you’re still in denial about it; he clearly likes you.”

“Well, it’s not mutual—”

“Bullshit,” Watari snaps, shoving Yahaba’s shoulder. “Stop saying you don’t like him when it’s clear you do! And obviously no one will be really bothered by it, I mean, at least you know the king will be pretty cool with it.”

Yahaba shakes his head, “but I don’t actually know that! Oikawa… sometimes he gets mad at me for being like him and tells me to go about things differently…”

“That’s probably more in regards to how you try to handle problems,” Watari shrugs, “but in terms of your feelings? I think if anyone understands how you feeling about Kyoutani, it’d be King Oikawa.”

He feels his body go heavy, as though he just wants to lie down and not focus on his problems anymore. “But… an attraction isn’t feelings, Watari…”

“So figure out how you feel first, and if you do like him, you can court him. But if it’s just an attraction, _then_ you can sleep with him,” Watari snickers, “well, _sleep_ with him sleep with him, not… you know what I mean.”

“ _Yes_ , I know what you mean,” Yahaba bites out, grimacing at the suggestion.

“Hey man, you’re the one who had a one ni—”

“ _Don’t_.”

“Sorry…”

Yahaba groans, digging the heels of his palms against his eyes. “I feel like I slept like a rock but I’m still so _exhausted_...”

“Well, what else did you and the king talk about?”

Taking a deep breath, Yahaba thinks back to last night and begins to tell Watari everything. He explains that Oikawa had seemed to avoid discussing things further, but that he’d reach out to Yahaba eventually when he found a good job for him. Watari listened, and gave his own views on things, including the king and his new husband’s belief that their union will be the start to ending this war.

“It’s weird,” Watari starts, and when Yahaba goes to protest, Watari holds up a hand. “Not their marriage, that part makes sense. But I mean… how did this war even start? On top of that, we haven’t really heard anything about the war for several months, right?”

Yahaba thinks about that. This is true, the war with the beasts in the Dark Forest seems to have fallen to a stand still and he’s not sure if that has anything to do with Iwaizumi being in the kingdom, or something else entirely.

“Of everyone who would know, it’d be the hand of the king, wouldn’t it?” Yahaba asks, and Watari frowns.

“Don’t go there, Yahaba. Lord Matsukawa is very big on secrets.”

He knows that; he’s seen Kindaichi’s arm. “He’d do anything for Oikawa though - he’s the one who married them in the sight of the gods after all.”

Watari looks surprised by this, “wait, really?”

“Kindaichi was the witness,” Yahaba nods, “but again, don’t tell anyone about this.”

“ _No, what_? But I was _definitely_ going to go run off and find Nishinoya to tell him _all about_ the wizard-beast love fest going on in Seijou!”

Yahaba closes his eyes and grinds his teeth for a second. “I really don’t appreciate your sarcasm right now…”

“Sorry…” Watari scratches his head for a second, trying to think of anything else. “Well, I mean, what more is there to do right now? King Oikawa told you to wait for him to call for you again, right?”

“Yeah, but,” Yahaba hesitates, not even sure what to say. “What if he asks me about the spell I cast?”

Watari shrugs, “you don’t know what it was, and it sounds like the king already knows you don’t.”

Yahaba bites his lip and stares down at his hands. “... what if I could do it again?”

“That’d be amazing,” Watari nods, “but you can’t because you don’t know what you did.”

He stares down at his hands for a little longer, the dark blue gloves that cover his scars tight against his fingers as he curls them into fists. He looks up to Watari with a frown. “... Kyoutani wanted to take off my gloves last night…”

Watari’s face pinches as though he’s eating something sour. “I… don’t know if I want you to tell me why or what you two were doing, but… _gods_ , now I’m curious. _Why_?”

“I helped him take off his chest plate—”

“ _Nope_ , too intimate, I’m out!”

Yahaba grabs him, “no, _wait_! It wasn’t like that!”

“You basically just said you _undressed_ him!”

His face is burning, and he squeezes his eyes shut because, _yeah, he did_. “It wasn’t like that! I swear, I just… _urrrgg_ ,” he groans, slapping his hands over his eyes. “I just thought it had to be uncomfortable for him to sleep with it!”

Watari clicks his tongue, “right, yep. So you undressed him.”

“Oh my _gods_ ,” Yahaba moans, his humiliation pouring out with his voice. “He must have thought…”

“Oh, I’m sure he thought _something_ ,” Watari sounds uncomfortable, but also endlessly amused. “Way to go, you lead on your crush without meaning to.” Yahaba continues to groan, getting louder but sounding muffled as he drags his hands down his burning face. “I don’t know which is worse; the fact that you undressed him because you thought he looked uncomfortable, or that his response was to remove your gloves first in return for the undressing…”

“Please stop,” Yahaba whimpers, finally having crouched down to hide his face in his knees, “I think… I think he thought it was more about the matching scars than the actual… _undressing_...”

Watari is silent for a moment before he finally says, “ _what_?” in the most incredulous voice.

Yahaba looks up at him and finds his friend staring down at him in horror. “... I thought you knew…”

“About… about _scars_?” Watari shakes his head, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Gulping, Yahaba stands up again and stares at his gloves. “The Phantom… when it cut through Kyoutani, it left… a very permanent scar on his chest under the chest plate. And when I pushed it away with the spell, I got the same scar on my hands and wrists…”

Watari’s also staring at his gloves, eyes wide. “... oh…”

“We… we experienced the same pain and have something to show for it,” Yahaba mumbles, “and I think last night… I think I made him think…” He’s not sure what he thinks though, pausing in his words.

“That you… were bonding through it?” Watari tries, but he sounds uncertain. “Maybe, I mean, it’s possible. If he did think it was about sex he’d probably have said something instead of tried to take off the gloves now that I think about it.”

Yahaba stares at him. “What?”

“Beasts are all about consent,” he shrugs, “if they care about their chosen one at all, they show it by asking if it’s okay to claim them. Sometimes they’ll ask to have sex just for sex, but if it’s about claiming, they state it outright.” Watari at least looks like he’s uncomfortable as he says the next part, “I uh… don’t think Kyoutani’s feelings are only of attraction though. I get the feeling you’ve done enough for him to want more from you.”

Yahaba gapes at his friend. “I… I have no idea how I feel about that…”

Watari winces at that, “you should probably figure it out soon, because I get the feeling Kyoutani isn’t going to wait for much longer to ask you.”

Kyoutani wouldn’t look at him this morning though. Kyoutani didn’t say a lot to him after they left Oikawa and Iwaizumi either.

Yahaba nods and turns towards the stairs. “I’m going to go talk to him… clear my head a little so I can think about this rationally.”

“Feelings of love aren’t always rational, though,” Watari calls after him, “especially when they’re based on attraction!”

He waves to his friend before he continues down the stairs, hurrying so that he can have some time to himself.

In terms of romantic prospects, Yahaba’s only ever felt something for someone twice. The first was when he was much younger and had a crush on the high born, amazingly talented wizard, Oikawa, before he was asked to be his student. After getting to know the future king, before he’d even been named the heir, Yahaba grew out of his crush and felt satisfied being his student and maybe even his friend.

The second person, Yahaba hopes to never see again - he was stupid, young, and was only beginning to get drunk at the celebration for Oikawa’s coronation. After that, he’d ran into his crush of only two days and things went downhill from there.

He can only pray to the gods that the man in question wasn’t on his way to Seijou at this very moment. And if he was, Yahaba can only continue to pray that he’ll never run into him while his group is here.

Putting that aside, Yahaba focuses on trying to remember how the feeling of having a crush was like. Sure, he’d been attracted physically, and he of course wanted to never look foolish in front of them. Both things seem to fall into line with his feelings towards Kyoutani - those remarks of “stupid Yahaba” always put a small twist in his stomach, but Kyoutani’s quick to replace them sometimes by calling him “delicate” or “strong.” He’s not sure if that really qualifies for having real feelings for Kyoutani though.

He stands outside his door now, trying to think of something else to place his feelings into a correct category. Attraction or actual feelings? Yahaba bites his lip.

Kyoutani’s stubborn, rude, and quick to argue. He refuses to admit he knows wizard language and seems to pretty much hate wizards in general. But he’s also certain that Yahaba is capable of handling himself, and wants to protect him in any way he can. He’s curious about new things and quick to offer any information he may have himself, even if it’s very little or doesn’t help the situation.

Outside of that, he doesn’t _know_ Kyoutani. Yahaba stops chewing on his lip and enters his chambers, closing the door softly behind him.

Kyoutani hasn’t moved from his seat, the cards laid out before him in different stacks that don’t make sense to Yahaba. He doesn’t look up at Yahaba, and the lack of interest he’s displayed all day just feels wrong.

Quickly, Yahaba crosses the space between them and slams his hands onto the table top. Kyoutani freezes in place, the card he’s about to lay down hovering over the table. He still doesn’t look up.

“Gods, just _look at me_!” Yahaba shouts, and slowly, Kyoutani turns to look up and hold Yahaba’s gaze. He stares down at him, looking between his eyes and he finds comfort knowing they’re not dull like ‘Two’ or ‘Three’s. “Thank you,” he breathes, standing straight again and dropping his hands to his sides.

Kyoutani pushes himself up from the chair, moving to stand before Yahaba, never dropping his gaze. “Last night,” he starts, his voice soft, but he hesitates to continue.

“What did you and Iwaizumi talk about?” Yahaba asks instead, and Kyoutani shrugs. “You know you can talk to me about anything - I… I won’t judge you for speaking a language other than your own.” Kyoutani’s eyes fall to stare at Yahaba’s shoulder instead, and he licks his lips, trying to think of something else to say. He’s not sure what to say, and he feels his heart pound as the seconds go by. “I’ll try to learn your language so you can talk to me, too…”

“Iwaizumi,” Kyoutani starts, finally looking Yahaba in the eye again. Yahaba silently holds his breath, hopeful that he’s convinced him. “Iwaizumi say Hanamaki run tribe until he return,” he mumbles, and Yahaba feels himself deflate.

Doesn’t seem Kyoutani will drop the charade just yet.

“Who’s Hanamaki?” He asks, hopeful they’ll continue the conversation.

“Hanamaki tribe brother, he Iwaizumi chosen second,” Kyoutani shrugs and looks to Yahaba’s shoulder again, “Hanamaki send Kyoutani find Iwaizumi…”

Yahaba bobs his head, thinking he understands. “So he’s running the show until Iwaizumi comes back?”

Kyoutani nods, and Yahaba watches him wet his lips for a second. His eyes roam back up to Yahaba’s and they stare between one another for another several beats. “Last night, Yahaba no take glove off…”

“I… I still don’t like it,” he answers, running his fingers over the fabric in question. “I’m sorry for making you show your scars like that. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

Kyoutani shakes his head, and Yahaba can practically feel the heat rolling off of Kyoutani’s body. He takes in a deep, shaking breath when he realises how close they are to one another, but Yahaba doesn’t think he’ll be able to move away. “Kyoutani fine when only Yahaba around,” he whispers, and Yahaba’s body shivers. “Yahaba… feel same?”

He gulps, his eyes fluttering for a second. “I…” Kyoutani’s moving closer, and Yahaba’s only able to breathe in his scent now. His eyelids are growing heavy as he watches Kyoutani get closer, but when he feels his lips tremble, Yahaba knows he can’t let that happen right now. Without a second thought, Yahaba puts his hands to Kyoutani’s shoulders and pushes him back just enough to see his face in it’s entirety again. “N-No, not yet,” he mumbles, and Kyoutani looks confused.

“Why?” Kyoutani asks, still keeping his voice down. “Yahaba… no feel same?”

“I-I think I do,” Yahaba hurries to say, which only makes Kyoutani look more put out and confused, “but I’m not sure…?”

Kyoutani’s eyes narrow as he looks past Yahaba, staring off to think about what he means. “Huh…?”

“Right now, it’s like,” Yahaba takes a deep breath and tries to calm his racing heart, “I know I’m attracted to you, but I… I don’t know you well enough to say I actually have feelings for you.”

Kyoutani’s still looking off at the wall, but his eyes are no longer narrowed. They look sad. “Yahaba… want Kyoutani, but want know more first?”

Yahaba hurries to nod, dropping his hands from Kyoutani’s shoulders. “Yeah, I want to get to know you first.”

“Nothing to know,” Kyoutani mutters, his gaze falling to the floor.

Yahaba shifts his weight around and scratches his head. “Well, I mean, you could tell me about your family…?”

Kyoutani doesn’t answer right away, but eventually he looks back up at Yahaba. “No,” he says, and Yahaba is ready to argue when he continues on with, “no family…”

He thinks it’s possible that Kyoutani is saying he doesn’t want to discuss their families, but the soft way he says it is enough for Yahaba to piece it together - Kyoutani doesn’t have anyone to call family. Yahaba bites and chews his lip for a moment, uncertain of what to say. “Then… your tribe?”

Kyoutani’s eyes light up at this and he nods quickly, “Kyoutani can do that.” Yahaba smiles, gesturing to the table. They sit down, and Yahaba mentally prepares himself for Kyoutani’s stubbornly broken speech.


	12. Ex-Fling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BY THE WAY, go check out the fanart [onikoni](http://onikoni.tumblr.com/post/165537804029/fanart-of-my-favorite-fanfics-1-illusion-of) and [koutwin](http://koutwin.tumblr.com/post/165965789636/ive-done-some-doodles-on-the-wonderful-story) over on tumblr made for the fic!! (Why didn't I link these sooner??)

The following day, Yahaba feels much lighter and closer to Kyoutani. They’d spent hours talking about things within their lives, finding things in common and showing interest in the things they didn’t. 

Yahaba still cannot imagine the games Kyoutani described to him - something about wrestling, but there seemed to be something else involved and Yahaba couldn’t figure it out from Kyoutani’s broken sentences. It didn’t matter though, because Kyoutani seemed to light up as he spoke and he tried to tell Yahaba stories about the children of his tribe and how they played these games. 

Sometimes, Kyoutani would slip and speak properly for a few seconds before he caught himself and revert to the broken speech. Yahaba wanted to say something about it, but he understood why Kyoutani was avoiding the wizard language as much as possible. 

They were at war with one another. Even if Oikawa and Iwaizumi, their own leaders, had gone against it and married one another, Yahaba could feel the tension between him and Kyoutani whenever either brought up a story that involved the war. Things would grow quiet if one of them said anything that mentioned something terrible done by the others’ people and Yahaba found himself unable to look past the horrible things wizards have done to beasts. 

Luckily, they got past the awkward parts and were able to continue talking. Watari’s appearance alerted them to how long they’d been talking and the need for food came to their attention. They spent the second half of the day with Watari, playing cards and talking casually with him. 

Kyoutani talked less during that time, but Yahaba found a new appreciation for Kyoutani’s voice when he did say something. 

They slept easily that night, and Yahaba felt relaxed in his bed for the first time since Kyoutani regained his free will. It made it easier as he awakens to find Kyoutani is sitting in the bed beside him, playing with the cards. Yahaba sits up and stretches, smiling over at him. 

“Good morning,” he mumbles, rubbing his eyes. Kyoutani grunts and Yahaba frowns. “You okay?”

Kyoutani glances up from the cards and shrugs. “Yahaba sleep long time…”

He looks to the windows and notes the sun appears to be high in the sky - it’s nearing lunch from what he could tell. “Oh… Sorry, I didn’t mean to sleep so long.”

“It okay,” Kyoutani shrugs, “just hunger.”

Yahaba nods, quickly climbing out of the bed to go to the wardrobe. “I’ll grab us some food then,” he responds, pulling off his sleepwear to change as fast as he can. Kyoutani just grunts again and Yahaba looks around the door of his wardrobe to look at him. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

Kyoutani just shrugs again before he sighs. “How long talk before you know feel?”

Yahaba stares, trying to piece it together. “You’re going to need to give me more than that…”

“How long do we need to talk for you to figure out your feelings?” He murmurs, but Yahaba hears every word of the perfect speech. Kyoutani’s avoiding his eyes, and it’s clear he doesn’t like wizard language, but this must be important enough for him to speak properly.

He doesn’t blame him.

“I… I’m not sure,” Yahaba answers, stepping away from the wardrobe as he pulls his shirt over his head and shuts the doors. “Not too long, I hope.”

Kyoutani grunts, nodding a little. “Soon?”

“If we continue to talk like we did yesterday,” Yahaba moves to the bed to stand before him, “I’d imagine it won’t take long…” He frowns to himself, “are you sure about your own feelings?”

“Yes,” Kyoutani says easily, and Yahaba feels his cheeks burn, “Yahaba strong, Yahaba good… Kyoutani want Yahaba to be his…”

Yahaba’s face is on fire now, and he clears his throat as he steps back from the bed. “R-right, I… I’m sorry, I’m not very good with feelings…”

Kyoutani shrugs, “Yahaba try at least.”

Yahaba smiles at him, “I… I really am - at least, I am trying to make sure that it’s not just a physical attraction.”

That seems to be good enough for Kyoutani, who nods again. “Food?”

“Right, yes! Food,” Yahaba chuckles, turning towards the door, “I’ll be right back.”

Hurrying out of the room, Yahaba bites his lip to keep from smiling too much. It’s become the best part of his day to speak with Kyoutani, whose voice carries a nice sound and soothes his worries. Yahaba’s certain he probably has feelings for Kyoutani at this point, but he’s still not convinced. They’d only really known one another for about five days now, but somehow…

Somehow he thinks he may have fallen for the beast.

Yahaba can’t hold back his smile at this, but he pauses when he sees Watari up ahead, watching the people wandering about on the first floor from the balcony by the stairs. “Hey,” he calls out, and Watari turns to look back at him, “how’s it going?”

Watari shrugs, gesturing down below. “Just another day,” he says, and Yahaba comes to stand beside him, “a bunch of high borns wandering the castle trying to spot the king, a couple of the hands here and there, word of the Shiratorizawa group getting closer, and _oh_ , your ex-fling is here.”

He’s pointing down at someone in yellow and Yahaba doesn’t have to look twice to know it’s Terushima. Immediately, he flings himself around the wall Watari is standing beside, sinking to the floor and hugging his knees. Watari huffs a laugh and Yahaba reaches out to smack his leg, “it’s not _funny_!”

“It is if he’s still into you while you’ve moved onto a secret romance,” Watari quietly laughs, leaning on the railing as he continues to watch the high borns talk with the traveling merchant. 

Yahaba scoffs, resting his chin on his knees. “There’s no way he’s still into me…”

Terushima wasn’t spectacular at magic, and he didn’t belong to any specific kingdoms. He traveled through the country, his own residence somewhere in the mountains where the merchants kept their supplies. It’s known as Johzenji there, and none of the five kingdoms knew where it’s exact location is. Their travelers were high spirited, attractive men who were the life of parties and showed up every six months to trade new items they’d acquired from other counties or the underground markets. Terushima was no different from his fellow Johzenji travelers, handsome face and all, with the bonus of a tongue ring and the smoothest voice he’d ever heard. Yahaba met Terushima just before Oikawa was crowned king, and during the week long celebration of his king’s coronation, he got to know the traveling merchant very… _intimately_.

Granted, Yahaba remembered nothing of their one night stand. Terushima and he had gotten pretty drunk at one of the nightly parties, and while they awoke tangled in his bedsheets with nothing else to cover them, how they’d gotten there was a blur. Judging by how disappointed Terushima was from his own lack of memories from their night in the bed, he wasn’t lying when he said he didn’t remember it either.

Sometimes, if he thinks hard enough, Yahaba remembers flashes of being touched, of shivering in Terushima’s arms from pleasure, but aside from that, he really can’t remember. Terushima had promised him they’d try again in six months when he returned, but when Yahaba saw him six months ago, Terushima didn’t seem to notice him.

Yahaba was left bitter and angry, and while he tried to reason that Terushima just genuinely didn’t see him during his last brief visit, it still stung.

“Well, at least you have Kyoutani now,” Watari cuts through his thoughts, and Yahaba turns to stare up at him. “Uh… right?”

Sighing, Yahaba focuses back on the ground. “I’m still figuring it out…”

“It looked to be going well last night,” Watari reasons, “what more do you have to figure out?”

“I just want to be sure I do like him, you know?” Yahaba releases his legs, falling back against the wall. “I mean, I tricked myself into thinking I liked Terushima after all…”

Watari rolls his eyes, “you were infatuated with a handsome face and sweet words, that doesn’t mean you were in love.”

Yahaba scratches his chin, avoiding Watari’s gaze. “I still slept with him…”

“You were drunk - you _both_ were,” Watari crouches to get closer, “and I hate to say this, but since he’s a traveler, I doubt it’s unusual for him to sleep with someone random in whatever kingdom he’s in.”

Yahaba smacks him again, hating what it sounds like. “I just - I don’t want to do the same thing to Kyoutani that Terushima did to me…”

Watari nods, standing up again, “that’s good of you.” They go silent for a moment, and Watari clicks his tongue. “So are you going to go give Terushima a piece of your mind or are you just going to sit there and mope?”

“Actually, I was out to get food for me and Kyoutani,” Yahaba’s head fall back into the wall as he looks up at Watari once more, “I don’t want to bother you, but could you—”

“Yeah sure,” Watari waves him off, turning to head towards the stairs, “I’ll get you two plates so that you don’t have to accidentally run into him.”

“Thank you!” Yahaba whisper shouts, pulling his knees to his chest again. Watari doesn’t respond, just continues on with his request.

Yahaba settles into his spot on the floor and thinks more about it. Terushima probably didn’t mean to treat him that way, and he was genuine the entire week he spoke with Yahaba. At least, he seemed genuine enough. Still, Yahaba thought he’d fallen for the man and even waited for the six months to see him again only to be burned so badly when Terushima didn’t come find him.

He still remembers seeing Terushima out in town, selling his wares and speaking with the people of Seijou without a care. Yahaba thought Terushima would come by the castle after spotting him and they’d try again, but that night he’d heard about the Johzenji group having left Seijou very quickly.

It doesn’t hurt as much now, but Yahaba can feel the last remnants of feeling hopeless settling into his gut. He remembers Watari trying to cheer him up - he was the only person who knew about the fling with Terushima. Yahaba even remembers Oikawa asking him for a solid month if he would be okay, as though he knew but didn’t want to ask.

If what Iwaizumi and Oikawa had told him is completely true, then during that time they’d begun to court one another in secret. He supposes that someone who was falling in love like Oikawa would have noticed a broken heart, but Yahaba couldn’t say for sure.

Yahaba hears footsteps approaching and looks up to find Kindaichi wandering the halls with dark bags under his eyes. He stops when he sees Yahaba, staring at him for a moment before he turns and walks in the other direction. He gapes after him, feeling slightly hurt but mostly worried for his friend.

“Here you go,” Watari’s voice says suddenly, and Yahaba jumps in his spot, looking up to find two plates being held out for him. “Also it seems Terushima has left the entrance hall, but I don’t know where he went so you might want to hurry just in case.”

Nodding, Yahaba pushes himself back up to his feet and he takes the plates. “Thanks again, Watari. I owe you one.”

“You owe me a lot, but don’t worry, I won’t haggle you for the payback,” Watari smiles, waving as he turns away. “I’ll leave you two alone - hopefully something will click with you if you have an entire day alone with him.”

Yahaba smiles after him and makes his way back without a word. The door swings open with the smallest use of magic and Yahaba puts the plates down quietly, the click of the door behind him coming soon after. Kyoutani watches from the bed, restacking the cards before he climbs down and comes to sit at the table. 

They eat in relative silence, and it’s clear Kyoutani was pretty hungry from the way he practically inhales the food. Yahaba watches him, deciding it’s better if they don’t talk so that he can piece together his feelings in regards to Kyoutani at this moment.

In a way, he at least is taking into consideration a possible relationship instead of just jumping Kyoutani and… well, that’s not important at the moment. So that’s a plus in his opinion, especially since it’s more than anyone has ever given him.

Kyoutani has suggested a few times during their talk that he wants nothing more than to claim Yahaba, but he hasn’t outright said it - not yet. For what reasons, Yahaba isn’t sure. As Oikawa once explained to him, he is the first one to dismiss any good qualities in himself and the last one to recognize his accomplishments. In other words, Yahaba is his own worst critic - as most people are to themselves - and it makes it hard to imagine that someone could ever want to be with him.

“Kyoutani,” Yahaba starts, and Kyoutani pauses in his eating to look up at him. “Why…?” He doesn’t know how to finish the sentence.

Swallowing, Kyoutani cocks his head to the side and furrows his brow. “Why what?”

“Why… do you want to be with me?” That sounds like the right question, but Kyoutani still looks confused. “I mean… out of every person in this world, why me? What could possibly make you like me that way?”

Kyoutani raises his brows now and he sits a little straighter. “Yahaba good, strong, delicate—”

“Yes, I know those things,” Yahaba interrupts, putting down his fork, “but… you don’t know me that well. How can you say for sure I’m the one you want?”

Silence follows his question, and Kyoutani at least looks to be considering his question. His expression is angry though, as if he can’t believe that Yahaba doesn’t know.

Sighing, Kyoutani looks him in the eye and says, “because you’re the first person to look at me and see anything good.”

Yahaba’s jaw falls open a little and he stares at him. “What do you mean…?”

“My parents… they’ve been gone a long time,” Kyoutani starts, and his voice is soft, as though he doesn’t want anyone to hear him speaking Yahaba’s language, “and Iwaizumi had just become our leader. He… he took me in and raised me as his younger brother, and everyone thought he treated me differently out of favoritism. Instead, he… he wasn’t treating me better.” Kyoutani focuses on the table, lost in thought, “but it made everyone treat me badly, like as if I was just Iwaizumi’s brother. Just some tool… even the wizards who fought me called me an animal and tried to murder me. Until you…”

Yahaba’s gaze falls to the table as well. “... I can’t be the first person to treat you like a person, Kyoutani…”

Kyoutani grunts, “you were.”

Gulping, Yahaba nods a little. “Okay, so… that’s a lot of pressure on me.”

“Sorry.”

“No no!” Yahaba reaches over, taking Kyoutani’s hand, “it’s okay! I… I don’t mind.” He smiles a little, trying to be reassuring, “I’m sorry you’ve been treated so badly for so long.”

Kyoutani frowns, “Iwaizumi good to me. Iwaizumi brother, leader… Yahaba different.”

Yahaba smiles a little more at the return of the broken speech and laughs. “Right, you wouldn’t fall in love with your older brother.”

“Love…?”

Immediately Yahaba releases Kyoutani’s hand as though it burned him. “I didn’t… I meant—”

“Yahaba love me?” Kyoutani whispers, and Yahaba shivers.

“I—” he can’t finish his sentence, unsure of what to say.

Kyoutani is looking between his eyes before he nods a little. “Trying to figure out, right?”

He doesn’t know for sure if that’s the answer he’s been looking for, but Yahaba nods anyway. “Right, I… I’m not so sure yet.”

With another grunt, Kyoutani goes back to his food and Yahaba just stares at him. He seems to be okay with that answer, but Yahaba can’t tell. So he goes back to his own food and quietly eats what’s left on his plate, thinking over the conversation again.

Once Kyoutani settles into his seat with an empty plate in front of him, Yahaba focuses his attention on him again. “Do you want to go for a walk?”

Kyoutani nods, “stuffed here.”

Yahaba frowns, trying to think of what that might mean. “Are you saying you’re full or that it’s ‘ _stuffy_ in here’?”

“Stuffy here,” Kyoutani corrects himself, and Yahaba sighs. Knowing that he can speak properly just makes the broken speech more adorable, and he absolutely hates it.

Setting his fork down after his last bite, Yahaba stands and gestures for the door. “Let’s go then; you’ve been in here for too long.”

Kyoutani stands as well and moves to the door, opening it for Yahaba to leave first. He leads the way through the hall, and they walk in silence side by side.

Yahaba makes sure to walk the usually empty corridors to keep Kyoutani from having to act as though he has no free will, but it’s still hard with all the visitors. They pass by servants and a few high borns who don’t acknowledge them, as well as Daichi and ‘Two’ and the Fukurodani visitors. While Lord Konoha and Washio acknowledged him with a wave and a nod each, Daichi actually stops for a moment to exchange pleasantries, smiling all the while. Yahaba did his best, but he found himself glancing to ‘Two’ a few times during the conversation and the tattoos on his body. ‘Two’ stares ahead the whole time, eyes dull and Yahaba feels himself aching at the sight.

Eventually Daichi excuses himself, and Yahaba waves him off to continue down the empty hall with Kyoutani. Kyoutani doesn’t seem to mind the interruption or the silence, walking alongside Yahaba with the smallest hint of a smile on his lips. Yahaba bites his lip to keep from smiling too much.

Turning a corner, Yahaba sees Kindaichi again and he grabs Kyoutani, pulling him back to peek around the wall. Kyoutani grunts something, but Yahaba doesn’t listen. Kindaichi didn’t see him it seems, and he hurries into one of the rooms that Yahaba has never really seen before.

Glancing back, Yahaba eyes Kyoutani before he decides what to do. “Stay here,” he whispers, and Kyoutani’s eyes narrow into a bitter glare, but he nods anyway. Yahaba nods back, moving around the corner to hurry over to the door Kindaichi had gone through. It’s small, not exactly short but definitely thinner than any entrance Yahaba’s ever seen. It also blends into the wall enough to not notice it much, but if you’re looking for it, it’s very obvious. Pressing on it a little, the door pops out of the wall and Yahaba pulls it open, slipping through the gap and pulling it closed behind him.

A steep staircase greets him and Yahaba stares down the path, hearing Kindaichi’s heavy footsteps as he descends to the darkness below. Taking a deep breath, Yahaba considers his options and decides to follow as silently as he can.

He thinks he might be half way down when he hears Kindaichi’s last steps on the stairs fade away, and it sounds as though he’s walking on a dirt path now. Swallowing the lump in his throat, Yahaba tries to hurry after him, but by the time he reaches the bottom of the stairs, there’s nothing to find except multiple tunnel systems.

Biting his lip, Yahaba tries to think of a tracking spell that’s inconspicuous and comes up empty. Sighing, he turns and hurries back up the stairs, knowing he’d never find which way Kindaichi went at this rate unless he got ridiculously lucky. He can’t take chances right now, especially with Kyoutani waiting for him.

Once he reaches the door again, Yahaba reaches out with his magic to try and sense if someone is within the hall and finds no one. Breathing easy now, he pushes the door open and slips back out, quickly sealing it in place. Yahaba stares at the wall, frowning to himself.

This could be another one of Kindaichi’s secrets. Yahaba tries to think of what he knows of the castle, but nothing comes to mind in regards to passageways or tunnel systems. Maybe Watari might know.

Shaking his head, Yahaba turns and hurries back to where Kyoutani is waiting, only to stop dead when he sees who’s with him.

Matsukawa looks up from circling Kyoutani, who’s standing rigid with the blankest expression Yahaba’s ever seen. “Oh, there you are, Yahaba. I was wondering where you went if Sixteen was left behind.”

Yahaba gulps, trying his best to smile as he nods to the hand of the kind. “Hello Lord Matsukawa, how are you today?”

“Fine, thank you,” Matsukawa smiles, nodding towards Yahaba. “And yourself?”

“I’m doing fine, thank you.”

“Oh, is that so?” Matsukawa hums, coming over to stand between Yahaba and Kyoutani. “You’re not doing anything… out of the ordinary, are you?”

Yahaba straightens and shakes his head. “I don’t know what you mean; of course, we’re all entitled to our own secrets, aren’t we?”

Matsukawa raises a brow in question. “Curious about secrets, Yahaba?”

He shrugs, not sure where the hand might be going with this. “Only if they could be hurting someone.”

“I don’t know what you mean by that,” Matsukawa replies, his eyes narrowing. “Are you saying I’m hurting someone?”

Yahaba huffs, “well, a secret wedding certainly isn’t helping when there are more secrets on top of it.”

He knows he probably shouldn’t have said it, especially when Matsukawa’s eyes widen. “Wedding?”

“It was a beautiful wedding, my lord,” Yahaba continues anyway, “quiet, but beautiful.”

They stare between one another, and Matsukawa’s face betrays no other emotion. “Weddings are usually beautiful, aren’t they?”

Yahaba shrugs, “I’ve only really seen the one.”

They continue to stare between one another until a servant rounds a corner and hurries by without a word, and the tension breaks immediately. “Well, have a good day, Yahaba,” Matsukawa says, turning to leave, “and try to stay out of trouble, won’t you?”

“Of course, my lord,” Yahaba calls after, “have a wonderful day.”

Once he turns a corner, Yahaba looks to Kyoutani and waits until his shoulders drop from how stiff he stood. Slowly, Kyoutani’s gaze falls to Yahaba’s, and it’s clear he’s worried about that exchange. Yahaba bites his lip and nods towards the other direction, turning to continue walking. It sounds like Kyoutani is following, but Yahaba doesn’t get the chance to check when he collides with someone.

“Oh, sorry!” Yahaba says, the other catching him by his shoulders.

“Yahaba?” The other man says, and Yahaba feels like a bucket of ice water was thrown on him. He looks up and Terushima is smiling down at him. “It’s been a long time, hasn’t it?”

He shivers from the smooth voice, and Yahaba wants so badly to check where Kyoutani is - maybe ask him to save him. Taking a deep breath, Yahaba tries to laugh, but it’s awkward and broken. “It’s uh… been a very long time…”

“I didn’t get the chance to meet you last time I came here,” Terushima admits, frowning a little. “It was awful, we were behind on our travels and couldn’t stay long. I’m sorry about that, but I’m here now.”

Yahaba nods a little, standing a little straighter and trying to subtly pull away. “R-right… Here you are!”

Terushima smiles, leaning forward, “here I am…” Yahaba’s eyes widen as Terushima’s eyes close, and he grimaces when he sees that Terushima is trying to kiss him.

Before he can pull away, Kyoutani’s fist comes from out of nowhere and Terushima is knocked back, releasing his hold on Yahaba. His jaw drops as Kyoutani comes between them, growling a little.

The only thing Yahaba can think is that they’ve completely screwed up - he can see it now, the Magic Council coming to kill them both. His stomach drops away and he can’t see straight.

Terushima rubs at his jaw, staring back at Kyoutani in confusion. “Uh… what?”

“S-sorry!” Yahaba yells, grabbing Kyoutani and pulling him back. “He—I—uh—” He can’t think of anything, stammering a little as Kyoutani continues to growl. Terushima is just staring at them, looking completely confused and a little angry. “I - I told ‘Sixteen’ to protect me from any threats!”

Terushima just looks more confused. “How am I a threat? I was just trying to kiss you,” he scoffs a little, “on top of that, when did you get a beast? Wait, are you a top tier?”

Yahaba hurries to nod, holding on to Kyoutani who’s growling gets louder any time Terushima shifts. “Y-yeah, been a top tier for three months! This is ‘Sixteen,’ he’s very protective of me when I ask him to ensure no threats come at me!”

“But, again, how is a kiss a threat?”

“Well,” Yahaba pushes Kyoutani back, putting himself between the two of them. “You see, ‘S-Sixteen’ probably takes any form of unwanted touching as a threat and acts accordingly!”

Terushima is rubbing his jaw, one brow raised. “I… I guess that makes sense… you look nervous, are you okay?”

“I’m fine!” Yahaba nods, trying to calm down, “a-are you?”

“Oh yeah, I’ve been punched before,” Terushima laughs, “anyway, you’re a top tier now? That’s amazing! I’m not even surprised, to be honest. You were amazing at magic from what I remember.”

Yahaba chuckles, and Kyoutani seems to relax behind him. “Y-yeah, I guess so… anyway, I can’t talk, I uh… have something to do for the king.”

Terushima nods, smiling sadly. “Right, the king; he’s your teacher still? Well, if you’re busy, we can just talk some other time. Try to catch up then, huh?”

“Uh, sure,” Yahaba nods, reaching back to grab Kyoutani’s wrist, “I have to go. Bye!”

Terushima starts to say something, but Yahaba is pulling Kyoutani and running as fast as he can back to his room. Slamming the door open, he yanks Kyoutani in and throws the door shut just as quickly before he rounds on the beast.

“You _cannot_ just punch someone!” Yahaba shouts, shaking a little. “Gods, Kyoutani, think about it for a moment! The wizards think you’re… you’re supposed to be tame! Or whatever the hell they call it - a _mindless slave_! You can’t punch him—”

“He tried to kiss you!” Kyoutani snaps, and Yahaba takes a step back. “ _I’m_ supposed to be a mindless slave? What the hell, Yahaba?!”

Yahaba shakes his head, “ _I_ don’t want you to be, but if you want to keep us safe, you have to act like you are!”

Kyoutani shakes his head, scowling and growling under his breath. “I’m not going to sit by and watching some fuck kiss you! Not when I’ve been wanting and waiting to do the same thing!”

Yahaba gulps, unsure of what to say.

“Who is he, anyway?” Kyoutani continues, voice rough and shaking. “He seemed familiar with you; w-what, did you… did you court him? That’s what the king called it right, courting?”

“I,” Yahaba starts, and Kyoutani doesn’t interrupt, waiting for an answer. “We… we kind of had something, a year ago…”

Kyoutani’s gaze moves away from him, dropping to the ground as he takes that in. “What kind of something?”

Yahaba takes a deep breath, his eyes burning and his cheeks growing warm - he thinks he might be embarrassed to admit it, but no, what he’s feeling is shame. “Terushima and I… we had a drunken one night stand…”

Kyoutani doesn’t say anything, his eyes narrowing. Yahaba waits, wondering if beasts had anything similar. “I… I know what drunken means, but what’s a ‘one night stand’?”

_Gods_ , he had to spell it out for him. Yahaba closes his eyes as he takes in another breath, opening them as he stares at the floor. “We… we had sex once…”

Silence meets this statement, and Yahaba waits for any response. When one doesn’t come, he finally looks up to see Kyoutani’s reaction.

He’s staring at Yahaba with a look of betrayal, and Yahaba shudders at the sight. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you… I-I didn’t want to admit it - we don’t even really remember it!”

“How long did it last?” Kyoutani asks instead, and Yahaba bites his lip.

“We… we flirted for about a week, and kissed a few times before it happened,” he admits, “but it was all about the physical attraction. It wasn’t at all about feelings, that much was obvious later… I thought I had feelings for him, but after he left and I waited for a bit, I realized I didn’t actually have feelings for him.”

Kyoutani nods, but he still won’t look Yahaba in the eye.

“Kyoutani,” Yahaba says, voice cracking a little, “I… this is why I want to figure out my feelings first. I don’t want to jump into bed with you or - or kiss you without knowing my real feelings first.” Kyoutani still won’t look at him. “I want to be able to touch you without some hidden desires, to… to kiss you and hold you and feel content with just that. I don’t want it to be about sex or some raw desire between us. I,” Yahaba pauses, realizing what he’s trying to say, “I care about you too much to let this be nothing but some physical attraction.”

That’s when Kyoutani’s gaze finally moves back to Yahaba’s, and his jaw is hanging open as though he can’t believe it.

“I… I don’t think I love you,” Yahaba murmurs, “but I definitely feel something for you…”

His heart is pounding, and he feels himself inch closer to Kyoutani. Kyoutani’s eyes flutter, and his ears turn pink, and Yahaba breathes in his scent as he gets closer.

“Are you sure?” Kyoutani whispers, and Yahaba sees from the corner of his eyes how Kyoutani’s hands are shaking, reaching out to grab Yahaba but hesitating a few inches away from his body.

Yahaba shivers at the question from the way Kyoutani’s breath ghosts over his lips. Without a second thought, Yahaba surges forward, grabbing Kyoutani’s face and pressing their lips together, as if he needs it to live. He feels Kyoutani respond immediately, grabbing hold of Yahaba’s waist and pulling him closer, one of his hands gliding around to press into Yahaba’s back. Their mouths twist and he feels Kyoutani shifting to get a better vantage point, the heat of his mouth opening as he moans from Yahaba’s teeth pulling on his bottom lip. Yahaba moves forward again, shifting one of his hands to Kyoutani’s hair, the other dropping to his bare shoulder and digging his nails into his flesh when Kyoutani manages to latch onto the tip of his tongue.

Kyoutani pushes forward, pressing Yahaba into the wall while the hand on his waist drops to his hip, then his thigh, pulling at it to bring it up and Yahaba moans again. The hand he has on Kyoutani’s shoulder shifts, grabbing at his shoulder blade and feeling the muscles shift there when the door suddenly slams open.

“Yaha— _shit, fuck, why_?!” Watari shouts, and Kyoutani drops Yahaba, who falls back into the wall. They both turn, their panting breath mixing together and making Yahaba feel warmer than he already is. “Why does this keep happening?! I swear, at some point, you’ll both be naked!”

Yahaba scrunches his nose and makes an odd noise of disgust. “Learn to freaking _knock_ and maybe this won’t happen!”

“But it’s important, I can’t just knock!”

“What could be more important than _this_?” Yahaba hisses, pulling his hands away from Kyoutani to gesture between them.

Kyoutani just scowls, “ _fuck off_ , Watari.”

Watari rolls his eyes, stepping into the room and shutting the door. “No, look, it’s really important!”

Yahaba and Kyoutani look between one another before he steps back, and Yahaba gestures to Watari with a wave of his hand. “Out with it then, what’s going on?”

Watari takes a deep breath, looking panicked. “I just overheard Lord Matsukawa asking a servant to have you meet him without Kyoutani for a chat and a game of cards, but also that it was urgent.”

Kyoutani immediately turns to Yahaba, “bad?”

Yahaba’s frozen in place. “I… I don’t know…”

Suddenly, something occurs to Yahaba and he turns to the table in his room. Specifically, to the deck of cards Kyoutani is always playing with.

Those aren’t his cards - they were still in his rucksack from five days ago.

Quickly, Yahaba grabs the deck and turns to Watari and Kyoutani. “These are Matsukawa’s…”

Watari gawks at him, but Kyoutani just looks confused. “So?”

He doesn’t get a chance to answer, a knock coming to the door then. A small voice suddenly calls, “Yahaba! Lord Matsukawa is calling for you! He said it’s urgent and to leave your beast!”

The three of them stare at the deck, and Yahaba gulps. “Thank you, I’m on my way!”

They hear the footsteps pad away, and Yahaba pockets the deck. Watari shakes his head, “Yahaba, he couldn’t have…”

“It’s possible,” Yahaba mutters, moving around them towards the door. “There’s only one way to find out…”

Kyoutani grabs his wrist before he can open the door. “Yahaba…?”

He reaches up, cupping his cheek and kissing the other. “I’ll be back…” Kyoutani looks like he wants to protest, but he doesn’t stop Yahaba from opening the door, nor does he pull Yahaba back in. Instead, he lets go of his wrist and watches the door close behind Yahaba.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The idea of Yahaba with Terushima totally came from [THE WIENER SOLDIERS](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7427812/chapters/16871710) where they... got... married??? Hahahha, I don't know, I recommend reading it, it's a fun story.


	13. Game of Battle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone~! I've been getting asked a few times about drawing for the story and I just want to let everyone know that it's A-Okay to do so, so long as you credit back to the story and either tag me in it or send me a link to let me know! Thank you so much to everyone who has asked :D
> 
> On that note, please check out Jenyifer's work over on her tumblr! Here's the [first](http://jenyifer.tumblr.com/post/166332534975/havent-posted-for-a-while-so-here-is-some) drawing and the [second](http://jenyifer.tumblr.com/post/166436858235/i-cant-recommend-mellowdoodles-fic-illusion-of) one, which is a scene from chapter one! Thank you so much, Jenny!

Lord Matsukawa’s room isn’t far from Yahaba’s, but the walk there seems to take forever. Yahaba can’t really feel his legs moving, and for a while he has to check to make sure he’s moving. This visit couldn’t possibly be any good for him.

Not only did he reveal he knew one of the hand of the king’s secrets - and everyone knows Matsukawa is big on keeping secrets - but he has also been in possession of his cards. Matsukawa wasn’t just about secrets, he also specialised in some of the most complex magical spells for reconnaissance that Yahaba could never imagine casting. The man is more observant than any trained spy, and Yahaba knows that he didn’t leave his cards by pure coincidence.

He’s tried to reach within the deck with his magic to get a feel for something, but of course Yahaba never found anything as he walked through the hall.

Finally making it down the corridor to the other side of the staircase, Yahaba takes a deep breath and stares at the double door entrance to Matsukawa’s chambers. Reaching up, he notes how his hand shakes before he tightens his fist and knocks as confidently as possible.

The doors swing open with no one on the other side, opening the view of the well lit room for Yahaba to see. Slowly, he takes a step within and glances around, having never been within the chambers for the hand of the king.

Matsukawa’s room was nearly the same size as Oikawa’s, with slight differences. For one, his bed is in plain sight unlike Oikawa’s, but his bathing area is closed off in a separate location for privacy. The artwork within the room held similarities to the rest of the castle, making Yahaba wonder whether Matsukawa was the one who decorated the castle or if he never updated the room. Aside from the artwork, the walls are lined with bookshelves full of books and other items Yahaba doesn’t recognise. A table like Oikawa’s sits in the middle of the room, but it doesn’t have the dark cloud, and the figures of the beasts aren’t placed about in clusters. It almost looks as though Matsukawa knew their locations - as though he’d placed them throughout the country on purpose.

The doors close behind him and Yahaba swings around to watch them click into place. Matsukawa catches his attention however, seated off to the right at a smaller table, drinking from a wine glass and watching Yahaba with a blank expression.

“Hello again, Yahaba,” he says, setting the glass down. “You wouldn’t happen to know if I left my cards with you, would you?”

Yahaba holds back his reply, pulling the deck out from his pocket. “You left them in my room the other day, my lord.”

Matsukawa gives a small smile, gesturing to the seat across from himself. “Please, have a seat. We have a lot to discuss…”

He hesitates, but Yahaba walks closer a moment later. Pulling out the seat, Yahaba keeps his focus on Matsukawa and sits down, setting the deck in the center of the little table. “Are we going to play battle, my lord?”

“Oikawa was right, you are too fond of formalities,” Matsukawa huffs a laugh, “please, just call me Matsukawa. Or Mattsun, or even Issei…”

“Matsukawa is fine,” Yahaba replies, keeping his voice level, “so battle then, Matsukawa?”

Matsukawa smiles, raising a brow in amusement. “Cutting to the chase, are you in a rush, Yahaba?”

“We both know this isn’t about a card game.”

His smile falls and Matsukawa slowly reaches for the deck, shuffling it simply. “Very well, let’s discuss what I brought you here for.”

Yahaba gulps, watching him shuffle the deck quickly and efficiently. He waits for Matsukawa to start the conversation while he deals out six cards each, settling the deck back into the middle of the table. Yahaba takes the hand dealt to him and turns his focus to it instead.

Nothing but number cards and a single Child card - it’s of the Cross suit, but it’s a low value face card in a game like battle. Still, he moves the cards around to make it easier to find his best hand.

Matsukawa glances up from his hand at the same time Yahaba does and he smiles again, much larger this time, and Yahaba already can feel that Matsukawa has a winning hand. The best thing about battle is that the starting hand has nothing to do with the end results usually.

“I take it Oikawa told you about his marriage then,” Matsukawa immediately starts with, reaching out and pointing to two of Yahaba’s cards. One is the Child card, the other a two. Yahaba keeps from grimacing - already his best option is taken from him.

He points to two of Matsukawa’s, and they place them down. Of course Matsukawa had a Moon Death card, so he gets to choose the cards to be removed from play. “As my teacher, he tends to keep me involved with most things happening in his life…”

“So you weren’t shocked?” He chose both of Yahaba’s cards, so Yahaba draws two new ones. This time he gets a Cross Elder, and it makes him relax a little.

“I was immensely shocked, actually,” Yahaba answers, watching Matsukawa take back his two cards Yahaba chose before. They each draw five cards, and Yahaba is pleased to find another Elder, this one a Heart, as well as a Diamond Death. Immediately he replaces the low numbers he has left in his hand and discards them, keeping all the face cards as well as the only numbers - two fives and a three - he has left.

Matsukawa finishes sorting out his cards and looks up to Yahaba, humming all the same. “What do you think of this marriage?”

“I think it’s a bit rushed,” Yahaba admits, looking over his hand again. If he could get another Death card, he could win. “But if this could end the war…”

“So you don’t believe in the war against beasts?” Matsukawa asks, reaching out to draw six additional cards. Yahaba waits before he does the same, watching Matsukawa’s reaction to his doubled hand as he pulls new cards.

He’s manages to pull only numbers as well as a Moon Child card, and Yahaba tries his best not to react. “I think beasts are misunderstood…”

Matsukawa quickly points out four of Yahaba’s cards, and Yahaba can’t fight his reaction. He’s amazed, but he discards the threes and twos easily enough. He does the same, and Matsukawa frowns, discarding the four cards he chose without hesitation.

Yahaba hopes he made Matsukawa discard something good.

“You’re starting to sound like him,” Matsukawa mutters, looking over his cards before he grabs one in particular, eyeing Yahaba.

Yahaba grabs the only two card he has left, placing it down on the table without breaking eye contact with Matsukawa. They both stare between one another, and Yahaba clicks his tongue. “I don’t exactly see a problem with that,” he answers softly, and they both look down at the low cards.

His two is lower than Matsukawa’s four, and Yahaba bites back his grin. Looking back up, Yahaba watches him carefully as he decides which three he’ll force Matsukawa to discard.

Matsukawa’s good at concealing his reactions though, and Yahaba can’t tell if the ones he hovers over will be any good to discard. This is the part of the game Watari would get mad at him for, if only because Yahaba’s so good at reading him.

It’s impossible to read Matsukawa, who stares at Yahaba with the most intense eyes he’s ever seen.

Finally, he just chooses three of Matsukawa’s cards at random and returns to his own hand, choosing to rid himself of the three number cards left in his hand. With no numbers left in hand, Yahaba takes a deep breath and hopes he’ll pull out another Death card.

Matsukawa draws his final two cards before him, and Yahaba waits for his turn. He watches the hand of the king look over his final hand, trying to gauge how smug he is under the circumstances.

He still can’t tell, so Yahaba reaches out to pull his final two cards. It’s hard not to react, but Yahaba keeps his jaw from falling open. A Star Death is now in his hand beside the Diamond Death, but what has him staring is the Beast card - he didn’t think this deck had the Beast card, but there it is. The image is crude and almost evil looking, not at all like Kyoutani, and Yahaba shifts his jaw as he stares at it.

“Yahaba,” Matsukawa calls, and he looks back up at him. “Play your cards,” he says, lowering his own hand down.

Yahaba gulps, moving to do the same.

Matsukawa ends the round with two numbers in the Moon suit and four face cards - two Birth cards in the Moon and Heart suits, a Moon Elder, and a Heart Death. Yahaba’s own hand holds the Moon Child, two Elders of Cross and Heart, and two Deaths of Diamond and Star. The Beast card stands out, sitting beside the Death cards, making it a Death as well.

Yahaba focuses on Matsukawa. “I win,” he murmurs, and Matsukawa doesn’t move.

“A Beast Wild Card played as Death,” Matsukawa whispers, smirking, “how bold… but Yahaba, try to remember the suit rules - I do believe that _I_ won here.”

Yahaba blinks, looking back at their hands. “But—”

“Moon beats Heart, canceling out your Heart Elder,” Matsukawa starts, pointing to his Moon Elder, then to his Heart Death, “and Heart beats Diamond, canceling out your Diamond Death.”

“But I still have two Deaths—”

“I have four in the Moon suit,” Matsukawa shakes his head, “you only need three of any kind in a single suit to beat a Beast Wild Card.”

Yahaba stares at their hands again.

“Your cards are bumped down to the lowest card of two, the Beast is a three, making your hand one with two twos, a three, a Child, an Elder, and a Death. Meanwhile, I still have two Birth cards, meaning—”

“The two Birth cards win overall,” Yahaba gapes, staring down at his hand. “But I… I didn’t know we were playing with suit rules…”

Matsukawa hums, taking the cards up and stacking his deck, shuffling as he goes. “Oikawa sings your praise in this game; you’re probably the only person who could beat me in the kingdom. Of course we’d play with suit rules.”

Yahaba sighs, falling back into the chair. “You win…”

“I usually do,” Matsukawa laughs, preparing to deal out another game. “How long did you have that Beast card?”

Sitting back up, Yahaba watches another hand be dealt. “It was the last thing I pulled, actually.”

“With the Star Death?” Matsukawa asks, and Yahaba stares at him. “Interesting, isn’t it? The Star suit represents Seijou, and one of Death was drawn alongside the Beast card…”

Yahaba narrows his eyes. “Are you trying to suggest something?”

Matsukawa only smiles, but it’s not at all friendly. “You think this union will end the war, huh? Why is that?”

“I,” Yahaba pauses, looking at his hand and not really seeing any of the cards. He thinks he might have a hand mostly made of the Cross suit, but he can’t really focus on it. “Don’t you…?”

“It’s possible,” Matsukawa grunts, picking two of Yahaba’s cards. He’s not really sure which were picked, but he places them down without looking. “I also think the king is making a mistake,” he pulls the two cards Yahaba pointed at random for and he nods to Yahaba, “Royal is highest, your pick.”

Yahaba glances down and chooses to get rid of the five and the three, making the both of them have to draw a new card. They each draw five cards and Yahaba finally thinks of an answer. “What mistake could be possibly be making? If Oikawa loves him—”

“Royals don’t marry for love, Yahaba, only for political purposes.”

“But it _is_ poltical,” he mutters, keeping face cards and removing numbers from his hand. Once he finishes, Yahaba takes six more cards and arranges them accordingly, not really focusing on the face or number. “If you’re so against it, why would you marry them?”

Matsukawa sighs, grazing his finger over four cards in Yahaba’s hand and discards the four Yahaba points to in his. “You’re completely right, I did marry them… and maybe I shouldn’t have.”

Yahaba shifts his jaw, putting down a two. Matsukawa had done the same, so he plays another two. Matsukawa plays a three, so Yahaba makes the decision again. “Can’t go back on what you’ve done already, they’re happily married.”

“For now,” Matsukawa mumbles, drawing three cards. Yahaba does the same, and they play their hands without hesitation. Yahaba’s too busy glaring at Matsukawa to look at what he’s played, and he’s surprised when Matsukawa whistles lowly. “A hand of Royals, Yahaba? And look at that, another Beast Wild Card. Seems the Beast card favors you, huh?”

Yahaba looks down, seeing his hand. All five Royal cards are sitting before him, the current kings and queen the inspiration for their images. The Star Royal is beside the Beast card he hadn’t noticed, and it sends a shiver down his spine to see the Star suit beside a Beast again.

Something about the hand seems familiar, but Yahaba doesn’t have time to reflect as he hears Matsukawa chuckle. “A Hand of Royals; it’s rather fitting, considering…”

Yahaba frowns, furrowing his brow. “Considering what?”

Matsukawa shakes his head. “It’s unimportant. Let’s discuss what we talked about earlier.” Yahaba waits, and Matsukawa stacks his deck again. “You’re too curious for your own good, Yahaba.”

“It’s more of a concern than a show of curiosity, really.”

“Concern?”

“Kindaichi,” Yahaba says simply, and Matsukawa pauses in his shuffling. “One sealed promise is bad enough, but three…? Matsukawa, you have to know Kindaichi can’t—”

“He’s fine,” Matsukawa whispers, but he doesn’t meet Yahaba’s eyes. “He said he was fine, let it be…”

Yahaba grinds his teeth, knows he won’t let it go so easily. “Matsukawa, he’s sneaking around the castle! It doesn’t look as though he’s handling the seals well or that he’s even been sleeping! How can you—”

“He’s _fine_ , Yahaba!” Matsukawa slams the deck back onto the table, and Yahaba sits back. “Whether he is or isn’t is for him to decide, and as his teacher, I would appreciate you _not_ accusing me of harming him!”

He can’t let it go. “Kindaichi is in trouble!”

“Kindaichi is doing what I ask of him for the good of the kingdom,” Matsukawa scowls, standing from his seat. “You don’t need to worry about him, I’m ensuring he’s safe and well at all times.”

Yahaba stands as well. “Safe? Well? He’s got three seals in his arm for secrets _you’ve_ made him keep!”

“For good reason!” Matsukawa shouts, shaking his head and looking away. “Yahaba, please, for the love of the gods, let it _go_.”

“At least tell me they’re not permanent,” Yahaba pleads, trying to keep his voice calm, “that he’ll soon be free from the seals.”

Matsukawa doesn’t look back for a good while, staring across his room. Finally, after Yahaba has counted to ten in his head, he turns back and nods. “He’ll be free from the seals. I can’t say it will be soon, but no longer than a month.”

It doesn’t sit well with Yahaba, but it’s better than nothing at all. Nodding, Yahaba takes a deep breath to calm down and glances to the cards. “Are we going to play another game?”

“No, I think we’re done here,” Matsukawa answers, moving away from the table after he grabs his wine glass. “Unless you don’t intend to mind your own business once you leave…”

Yahaba hesitates, focusing on Matsukawa as he pours more wine from one of the shelves. “Why do you think it’s a bad idea for Oikawa to have married Iwaizumi?”

Matsukawa pauses, holding the bottle over his glass but not letting more of the red liquid pour. “So you were paying attention,” he mumbles, settling the bottle back down heavily before turning back to Yahaba. “Think about it; what could go wrong?”

“Rather, what could go _right_ ,” Yahaba counters, stepping forward. “Matsukawa, this really could end the war!”

“Or get the greatest king Seijou has ever had killed,” Matsukawa counters, sipping from his glass as Yahaba gapes at him. “It’s not just Seijou in this war, Yahaba. Other kingdoms are pledged to assist and fight the beasts they may encounter, and the Magic Council—”

“ _Fuck the council_!” Yahaba shouts, and Matsukawa’s eyes widen in surprise, “they’re horrible for enslaving beasts and it’s not right for our people to be at war when there’s something much bigger coming for us!”

Matsukawa’s eyes drop and his face returns to it’s usual neutral state. “I see now… just how much like Oikawa are you, Yahaba?”

He’s not sure what he means, so he waits for clarification.

“I mean to say, is Sixteen… still ‘Sixteen’?”

So he didn’t know.

“Are you doing what our king has done?” Matsukawa steps forward, moving closer to Yahaba. “Have you slept with your beast?”

Yahaba gulps, opening his mouth to answer but no words seem to come out. His throat feels dry - maybe he’s panicking, especially after hearing how against the marriage Matsukawa is.

Matsukawa clicks his tongue, “you’re a promiscuous one, aren’t you? First a vagabond, now a beast…”

His face is on fire now, and his throat feels like it might be constricting. “Ex _cuse_ me?!”

“The vagabond - what was his name? Terushima, right?” Matsukawa hums, sipping his wine again, “and now ‘Sixteen’, or whatever his name really is…”

Yahaba doesn’t think, he just reacts, throwing out his arm and smacking Matsukawa across the face. “I have _not_ slept with Kyoutani!”

It’s silent between them, Matsukawa’s face expressing just how surprised he is. Yahaba is panting, finally able to breathe again. Yahaba’s ears are burning as well as ringing, and his hand stings around his fingers - the only place he can really feel anymore there.

By the time Yahaba has caught his breath and is no longer flushed in the face, he’s registered what he’s done. Standing a little straighter, he stares up at Matsukawa, who is still frozen in place.

“I can see that I’ve offended you,” Matsukawa says under his breath, straightening as well to look down at him. “My mistake, I shouldn’t have made assumptions like that in regards to you and this… Kyoutani. But I am right about Terushima, aren’t I? Six months ago, I had sent him away earlier than planned to assist Fukurodani, and he had mentioned that he needed to see you…”

Yahaba jolts, gawking at the hand of the king. “He… you what…?”

Matsukawa shrugs, drinking from his wine. “Maybe I misunderstood what he meant, but he was adamant about seeing you. There was no time to waste though, so I sent him on his way.”

Gulping, Yahaba shudders at the thought of Matsukawa interfering with his love life. “Oh… I see…”

“It’s alright, Yahaba,” Matsukawa reaches out, patting Yahaba’s shoulder, “you are young. If you want to sleep around, go right ahead.”

“I’m not some _whore_ ,” Yahaba spits.

“I didn’t say you were, just… it is your business, disregard everything I’ve said.”

Yahaba pushes Matsukawa’s hand away and glares up at him. “If you were so against Oikawa marrying a beast, why did you do it? Why did you have them rush into it sooner than planned?”

Matsukawa downs the last of his wine and shakes his head. “At the time, it was a good idea… but now that I’ve thought it over, Oikawa may die…”

“What…?”

“Like I was saying,” Matsukawa pushes the glass away, and it levitates to the shelf by the bottle, “the Magic Council will have his head once they find out.”

Yahaba bites his lip. “What if they never find out?”

“They always find out,” is the muttered response, and it sounds cold, as though Matsukawa is bitter about something. He turns back to Yahaba, his eyes hooded and dark, brows lowered and furrowed together in a glare not meant for Yahaba. “The Magic Council will find out, and depending on their course of action, you need to be prepared to ensure your own life will not be in jeopardy.”

“What…? Matuskawa, what will—”

“You’ll know what to do in time,” he dismisses, walking away to the table set up as the map of their world. “For now, ensure no one will discover ‘Sixteen’ is back to being Kyoutani - I assume that’s his name - and that you have no idea about Oikawa and Iwaizumi’s union.”

Yahaba isn’t sure what could possibly happen. “I… I can’t turn my back on my king.”

“You will,” Matsukawa states, “because that’s what Oikawa will ask of you. Even if he isn’t aware of it now.”

It’s silent again, and Yahaba can’t think of anything else to say. He’s not sure if he should be saying anything now, or if Matsukawa has said all that he needed to say.

“Matsukawa…?”

“You may go now,” Matsukawa glances over his shoulder, “and take this time to think over everything that we’ve discussed. Wait for Oikawa’s call - he’ll explain what will be needed of you when the time comes… or he’ll ask me to explain instead…”

Yahaba doesn’t move right away, staring over at the other man. “... will he be alright?”

“I don’t know.”

That’s not reassuring, but Yahaba finally nods, bowing a little before he turns to leave. The doors close quietly behind him, and the halls begin to illuminate with the candles as the sun begins to set.

Sighing, Yahaba hurries towards the stairs for his room, and stops when he sees Kindaichi. He’s wearing the same clothes as earlier, but they look a little dirty, as though he’d rolled down a hill. There’s a leaf in his hair which seems messier than usual. His sleeves, which are usually rolled to his elbows, are pulled down to cover his forearms - to cover the sealed promises.

He stops as well before he takes the stairs, staring over at Yahaba. Kindaichi seems to hesitate, some dirt smudged on his cheek and what looks to be ash on his nose. Yahaba doesn’t move an inch, afraid of scaring Kindaichi off again, and waits for the other to make the first move.

Kindaichi seems to make a decision, sighing to himself before he avoids Yahaba’s eyes and hurries down the staircase. Yahaba moves around the railing, coming to stop at the top of the stairs to watch him go.

The main entrance is devoid of most people, some servants still milling about, and one or two high borns passing through. Kindaichi hurries through the hall to his own area of the castle, clearly headed for his chambers. As he disappears from view, another individual comes through, looking back to where Kindaichi had been - clearly having passed him. Yahaba sucks in a quick breath and bolts before Terushima can see him.

The corridors are quiet as he makes his way back to his room, and his body feels heavy. Kindaichi is truly avoiding him, but on top of that, he learned nothing of the secrets Matsukawa is keeping. All he’s learned are things that worry him - Oikawa’s life being in danger for instance - and that he’d revealed something he had over Matsukawa. Kyoutani’s free will was the one thing Matsukawa didn’t know that Yahaba did, and he just gave that information over like it was nothing.

Stopping before his door, Yahaba stares at it and wonders what he should do now. Matsukawa’s words echo in his head then, and he opens the door.

Kyoutani is sitting at the table, staring down at Yahaba’s own deck of cards. Watari is nowhere to be seen, so he closes and locks the door behind himself. Kyoutani looks up, immediately standing and hurrying over to him.

“Yahaba okay?” He asks, grabbing hold of his face and looking him over in a hurried manner.

He nods though, grabbing Kyoutani’s wrists but not pulling his hands away. “I’m fine, thank you for your concern…”

Kyoutani frowns, “what happen? Cards bad?”

“I’m not sure,” Yahaba shakes his head, dropping his hold on Kyoutani’s wrists. “It doesn’t really matter though, he guessed about you having your free will…”

“... what we do now?”

Yahaba gestures behind himself, and Kyoutani finally lets go of his face. “From now on, you can’t leave unless it’s with me or… or with Iwaizumi, understood?”

Kyoutani’s brow scrunches together. “No Watari?”

“He can come in, but if he leaves, he leaves without you,” Yahaba nods, “I can’t risk anyone else finding out. Iwaizumi is fine to leave with you, assuming it’s ever needed, but right now no one else can take you out of the room.”

There’s clear hesitation on his face, but Kyoutani finally nods. “What happen?”

Yahaba sighs, scratching his head a little and displacing the headband a little. “We played cards, but he was basically telling me to mind my own business about the secrets Kindaichi is keeping. Then he warned me about you and your free will needing to be a secret too, and that…” He can’t say it.

Kyoutani shifts his weight around from one foot to the other, waiting impatiently. “That…?”

“That… Oikawa’s life is in danger if the Magic Council ever learns of his marriage to Iwaizumi,” Yahaba finishes, “and if I want to ensure my own will be safe, I have to keep quiet that I know about the wedding.”

Kyoutani shakes his head, “he king, right? Why he in danger?”

Yahaba shakes his head, “the Magic Council has more power than the kings or the queen in our country.”

“Oh…”

“This war may never end unless we can convince the people that the Hollow Body Phantom is real and going to kill us all,” Yahaba reaches out, holding Kyoutani’s hands to keep from shaking. “I… I have no idea what to do now…”

Kyoutani squeezes his hand. “Yahaba safe, Kyoutani protect.”

“You can’t protect me from the Magic Council or the Phantom though,” Yahaba murmurs, feeling his lip quiver. “I… I don’t want you to.”

“Kyoutani will protect Yahaba,” he grumbles, leaning forward to push his forehead against Yahaba’s - he bumps the band, but neither seem to care. “Yahaba protect Kyoutani in return…”

He nods a little, the movement jostling Kyoutani a bit. “I’ll keep you safe, I promise.”

“Kyoutani keep safe,” he whispers, shifting a little to press his lips to Yahaba’s cheek softly. “Kyoutani always keep safe…”

Yahaba huffs a laugh, but it’s hollow and a little watery sounding to him. Kyoutani hums, pressing another kiss to his cheek, and then another as he moves towards his jaw. Yahaba’s eyes flutter close, his hands releasing Kyoutani’s so that he can wrap his arms around his shoulders. He feels his heart begin to race as Kyoutani moves even closer, grabbing Yahaba around the waist and pulling him against his body, his lips grazing over the underside of his jaw and shifting down to his neck. The feeling sends shivers throughout Yahaba’s body, and he holds onto Kyoutani as tightly as he can, gasping when he feels sharp teeth graze over his skin; not quite cutting, but touching all the same.

“Kyou,” he manages to say before moaning, Kyoutani’s mouth pulling and sucking on the same spot. “I—I…”

Kyoutani pulls away with a pop, and before Yahaba can even think of what he was going to say, Kyoutani latches onto his lips, kissing him breathless. Yahaba tilts his head, trying to get a different angle with the way their lips are pressed together, opening his mouth just a bit in attempt to catch his breath. Instead, he feels Kyoutani’s tongue make it’s way over to his own, and Yahaba shivers at the feeling. Kyoutani’s hand is suddenly in his hair, pulling at the strands and bumping the headband a little more out of place. He grunts into Yahaba’s mouth, the sound vibrating between them and Yahaba shudders before the band is pulled from his head and he hears a clanking sound across the room.

He doesn’t really care though, because Kyoutani’s hand is back in his hair and his fingers are pressing into his head, massaging as his tongue presses further into Yahaba’s. Yahaba doesn’t register the possibility of Kyoutani’s claws cutting into his head, or that his tongue could puncture on Kyoutani’s sharp canines, he just presses closer, grabbing at Kyoutani’s back and feeling the movement of his muscles shuddering under Yahaba’s hold.

Kyoutani is the one to break away, panting heavily and his hot breath overtakes Yahaba’s as he breathes with him. His body is shaking a little, the heat in his belly going lower the longer he presses against Kyoutani - and now that he thinks about it, when had Kyoutani pressed his leg between Yahaba’s? He doesn’t remember, but it feels nice to have additional warmth pressing against him where he aches.

“Yahaba,” Kyoutani murmurs, the hand in his hair gliding around to press against his cheek now, his glowing eyes appearing dark as they focus on Yahaba’s own, “can I claim you?”

His heart is pounding even louder, and Yahaba feels himself shiver even worse than before at the question. “I…”

“I want you,” Kyoutani continues on, hovering a little closer, but his lips barely brush Yahaba’s. “Please say yes…”

Yahaba gulps, blinking a little at the thought. Yes, he’s slept with someone before in the way Kyoutani is asking, but… 

This would technically be his first time, considering he doesn’t remember his real first.

He’s hesitating, and Kyoutani pulls back a little, removing his leg from between Yahaba’s. “You… don’t want me…?”

Yahaba frantically shakes his head, “I do! I… I want you…”

“... but?”

He grimaces a little. “I… I don’t think we should yet…”

Kyoutani is frowning now, but his eyes are still dark and he’s still panting a little. “... I understand…”

Yahaba licks his lips, suddenly feeling horrible. “I’m sorry, I—”

“No,” Kyoutani pulls him close, kissing him softly, “don’t apologise. For now… this is fine.” He kisses him again before Yahaba can say anything else, and his hand returns to Yahaba’s hair, pressing him close and not allowing him to break away to argue.

Yahaba tries to relax, but there is still guilt no matter what Kyoutani is saying. He knows the beast wants to be with him more than anything, but considering everything that has happened and everything that could…

He doesn’t deserve even this right now.

Still, it’s hard to argue when the person you hold your affections with has his tongue in your mouth. So Yahaba sighs at the feeling, finally relaxes his brow and begins to move his own tongue in response to the sensations Kyoutani elicits from him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (I apologize for that card game. I made it up on the spot so that their actions for the game made some sense but it might not have and I'm not really sure... sorry if I confused you! And uh.. I didn't take it out because I personally think the game is interesting.)


	14. Elements

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Longer than usual chapter is a way for me to apologize for not posting in a while. I got South Park: The Fractured But Whole and have been playing it literally every day...)

Kyoutani seemed to be fine with their relationship as it is, but Yahaba got the feeling that he was growing restless day by day. Sure, they kissed one another, but that was the extent of where Yahaba would let it go.

He’d be lying if he said that during the week he didn’t feel the same anxious desires to push further. Kyoutani never pushed though, and Yahaba appreciated it, if only because so much still was left unanswered.

For one, he has yet to hear from Oikawa. The king was seemingly missing in the castle, but Yahaba could feel his magical presence within the building. He couldn’t pinpoint Oikawa’s exact location, but he knew that his teacher was still around - just avoiding him.

The same could be said for Kindaichi, but his presence wasn’t active in the castle. He couldn’t say where Kindaichi was, and Yahaba hated not knowing. Matsukawa was busy tending to the hands who were visiting, especially after Shiratorizawa had made their appearance. Lord Semi Eita had arrived earlier that week and things must be going smoothly with their meetings because every time Yahaba saw Matsukawa, the Hand of the King had a small grin on his face.

Even Watari had grown too busy to visit during the week. Mizoguchi had given him a lot of assignments to figure out and the last Yahaba or Kyoutani had seen of him was sometime three days ago.

Yahaba sighs to himself, looking up to the clouds in the sky as he waits for the vendor to finish packing his bag with the fruits from the Blessed Desert. Kyoutani said he’s never had prickle berries, so of course he needed to get it for him. The sky is grey, and it’s clear it will rain at some point today - though not enough to warrant a storm - and Yahaba wonders about the Hollow Body Storm that Oikawa had located near their kingdom; how big was it exactly, and was it terrorising that section of the kingdom?

“Oh, there you are Yahaba,” a voice calls, and Yahaba turns to it in question. Terushima is watching him, looking a little uncertain. “Where’s that beast of yours?”

He doesn’t know how to answer right away, the fruit vendor getting his attention and handing over the bag of prickle berries. Gulping, Yahaba nods in thanks to the vendor before turning back to Terushima. “He’s back in my chambers. I don’t exactly like having him follow me around…” Terushima is reaching out for Yahaba’s open hand, and without thinking, Yahaba pulls back and grabs hold of the bag uselessly.

They look between themselves for a moment. Terushima nods, glancing to the people walking past them in the market. “I’m leaving tomorrow… should we, um… discuss this?”

Yahaba wishes he could pretend he doesn’t know what Terushima means, but he thinks that may be more cruel. “I know Lord Matsukawa sent you away last time, which is why we didn’t see one another then,” he says instead, and Terushima looks a little relieved, “but… it has been a long time.”

“I’m sorry about that,” Terushima scratches at his neck, and he seems to be thinking of something to say.

Yahaba doesn’t want to hear it though. “I gave up on you a few months ago, I… I can’t just wait around for someone, Terushima.”

Terushima’s shoulders slump and he can’t look Yahaba in the eye. “I understand… can’t really blame you.”

“I’m sorry,” Yahaba murmurs, and Terushima shakes his head, “I really am.”

“Don’t apologise,” he pulls a grin into place, but Yahaba isn’t sure he thinks it’s genuine. “When you travel as much as me, there’s not really much of a chance to find love unless they go with you, you know?”

Yahaba nods a little, someone pushing past bumping into him and making him glance back. Terushima sighs and Yahaba looks back, clearing his throat, “so… where are you going next?”

“Nekoma I think,” Terushima shrugs, “we like to keep to a schedule, but sometimes we stop off at Karasuno first. Last time we went straight for Fukurodani at the hand’s request though.”

“Right, I think Lord Matsukawa mentioned that,” he replies, and Yahaba wants nothing more than to leave. Glancing past Terushima, he finds his opportunity when he locks eyes with Lord Matsukawa himself, standing a few booths away. His eyes are focused on Yahaba, and he gets the feeling that he’s being called over. “I… I actually have to go now, Lord Matsukawa was asking me to join him today.”

Terushima’s eyes widen in surprise, but he nods nonetheless. “Right, yeah - you’re pretty important these days, huh?”

Yahaba laughs awkwardly, stepping around him carefully. “Yeah, you could say that! I mean, I’m not a royal or even a part of the court, but—”

“You’re the king’s student,” Terushima says, turning with him, “I’d say that’s pretty important.”

Shrugging, Yahaba looks to Matsukawa and back and nods again. “Anyway, I’ll see you in six months, right?”

Terushima nods, waving a little, “yeah, definitely. Have a good one, Yahaba.”

He smiles, waving back, “you too, Terushima,” before turning fully and practically sprinting to Matsukawa. The hand raises a brow in question and turns without a word back towards the castle. Yahaba hurries after him, coming to stand at his side. “Has the king—”

“King Oikawa has been busy,” Matsukawa replies, glancing to Yahaba for a second before looking ahead. “I actually have something else I needed to discuss with you.”

Yahaba inclines his head, waiting for him to continue and wondering what it could be.

“Return to your chambers and get your traveling cloak, drop off those berries too,” Matsukawa says, voice low, “and meet me where you saw Kindaichi go through a secret door.”

“Secret door?”

“Don’t play dumb, I know you know,” Matsukawa mumbles, scoffing a little. “Come alone, and make it quick. I’m not waiting for you.”

Yahaba nods once and picks up the pace, hurrying forward to the castle. Matsukawa doesn’t call after him, so he doesn’t look back.

He hurries through the gateway into the castle courtyard, passing by high borns without a second glance. None of them even glance in his direction anyway, and Yahaba wastes no time as he hurries into the castle and up the stairs. Before he knows it, he’s throwing open his chamber door and closing it quickly behind him.

Kyoutani looks up from the book he was staring at on top of the bed and sniffs the air. “Fruit…?” He asks, moving to climb off the bed. “Smell… funny.”

Yahaba rolls his eyes and hands the bag to Kyoutani, “careful with them, prickle berries have their name for a reason.”

“Yahaba leaving again?” Kyoutani calls after him, as Yahaba hurries over to his traveling cloak and throws it over his shoulders. “Yahaba said no busy today…”

He bites his lip as he fastens the cloak in place, turning back to look at Kyoutani. “I’m sorry - Lord Matsukawa wants me to meet him where I saw Kindaichi disappear through the wall and—”

“Important,” Kyoutani nods, “Yahaba go.”

He smiles, moving closer to Kyoutani and reaching out to hold his shoulders. “Thank you for understanding…”

Kyoutani huffs, “Yahaba go fast, come back soon.”

Yahaba nods and leans forward, kissing Kyoutani lightly. “Careful with the thorns, you’ll want to peel the skin—”

“Go,” Kyoutani grumbles, pushing Yahaba away. “Come back soon.”

“Right, I… I’ll be back,” Yahaba mumbles, hesitating for a moment until Kyoutani nods towards the door. “I’ll be back before the day is out.”

“ _Go_ ,” he snaps, a small roll of his eyes telling Yahaba that he’s done with his delay. Chuckling Yahaba hurries towards the door, grabbing his rucksack from it’s hook and throwing open the door. Kyoutani doesn’t call after him, so Yahaba closes the door behind him without a second glance.

Yahaba hurries through the halls, hoping he doesn’t pass anyone who would want to stop him for any reason. He breathes a sigh of relief when he sees the hall Kindaichi had been lurking in a week ago, hoping he’d made it in time. Rounding the corner, Yahaba stops before he can run full force into the broad back standing there.

Matsukawa turns around and smirks. “Good, you’re here,” he mumbles before turning to the wall Kindaichi had used. “Come with me, and you’ll finally get your answers…”

Yahaba narrows his eyes, “why...? Why now, after all this time of trying to keep me in the dark?”

“Because I have reason to believe that things aren’t going to remain so calm after today,” Matsukawa answers, voice soft and level. Yahaba stares at him, waiting for more of an answer, but one doesn’t come as Matsukawa pushes the secret door open and steps inside. He follows after a moment, latching it in place behind himself.

The staircase is just as steep as Yahaba remembers, and he keeps up with Matsukawa enough to keep him in sight, but not enough that he’ll barrel into him and knock him the rest of the way down. It’s a lot more dusty than he remembers though, and Yahaba tries not to breathe in too much - he feels the cobwebs tangle in his hair, and he wonders why it’s so much worse than a week ago.

“Kindaichi must not have been through here recently,” Matsukawa mutters, and Yahaba strains his ears to hear more, “he usually keeps it so tidy…”

That makes sense, at least a little. Kindaichi usually did his best to remain clean, and one of the first spells he mastered on his own when they were younger involved scrubbing dirt away. If anything, he hasn’t been through this passage in a few days - possibly the entire week since Yahaba last saw him.

Reaching the landing, Matsukawa creates a ball of light in his palm and turns back to Yahaba, nodding in a general direction. “These tunnels lead to all sorts of exits around the main castle. One of them leads to the Dark Forest.”

It’s easier to see the tunnels with Matsukawa’s light, but Yahaba focuses on him instead. “Where are you taking me?”

“It’s going to rain soon, we should hurry,” he says instead and Yahaba watches him turn towards one of the tunnels on the right. Yahaba scowls, reaching up to sweep the cobwebs and dust from his hair.

“At least explain to me why Kindaichi uses this passage - it’s not like he needs permission to leave the castle grounds.”

“He does, actually,” Matsukawa glances back for a moment, probably to ensure that Yahaba is following him, “as my student, Kindaichi cannot leave the castle unattended. The same goes for you, at least, it did before you became top tier.”

Yahaba gapes at him. “... Lord Matsukawa, why was my becoming a top tier kept a secret?”

Matsukawa pauses, turning back to look at him. “What do you mean?”

“I’ve met a few of the other hands,” Yahaba hesitates, licking his lips, “they… they all said they didn’t receive word about me being granted top tier status.”

Matsukawa stares at him, the glow of the light in his hand casting eerie shadows on his face - yet, it didn’t frighten Yahaba. If anything, it felt oddly like… like he was being pitied. “I wouldn’t worry about why, Yahaba…”

“But I am!” Yahaba shouts, grabbing Matsukawa’s arm to pull him back when it seems he was going to continue down the tunnel. “Matsukawa, _please_ , I need to know why everything about me has been kept a secret!”

He pulls his arm from Yahaba’s hold. “If anything, Oikawa should be the one to—”

“Oikawa isn’t here!” Yahaba shakes his head, “Matsukawa, I haven’t seen him for a week! I’ve even sent messages to him and he’s not responded to anything! What is going on?!”

Still, Matsukawa remains firm. “I cannot say, Yahaba. For now, you have to trust that there is a good reason the other kingdoms do not know about you beyond being Oikawa’s student.”

He turns and continues down the tunnel, the light growing dim around Yahaba. He stares after him, a chill running down his spine before he hurries after Matsukawa.

The rest of the walk is silent, and Yahaba wonders how long the tunnel is. Glancing back, all he sees is darkness, and Yahaba sees nothing ahead either. He keeps pace with Matsukawa, but he focuses on their feet as they walk. He hears the sound of water dripping, but he doesn’t know where it could be coming from.

He’s beginning to wonder if Matsukawa was leading him down a false tunnel when he sees light ahead, and the sound of light rain pattering down into the earth floods the tunnel’s walls. Looking up, Yahaba sees the end of the tunnel and he hurries forward, past Matsukawa, to see where it lead them.

The first thing that hits him is the scent of wet pine, the light rain not quite pouring, but it’s been coming down enough to soak the earth. His boots squash the wet mud he steps in, and by looking up, Yahaba feels the drops of rain that pass the canopy of trees roll down his cheeks.

They’re in the Dark Forest.

“Damnit, we didn’t beat the rain,” Matsukawa mutters, coming to stand beside Yahaba. “Oh well, it’ll just make the trek a little harder with all the mud…”

Yahaba turns to him, watching the ball of light go out before Matsukawa pulls his own hood over his head. “Where are we going?”

“To meet some friends,” Matsukawa answers, and it’s vague enough that Yahaba still grows anxious.

He doesn’t get a chance to ask what he means, pulling his own hood up and over his head as Matsukawa begins to walk towards the darkness between the trees. Yahaba glances back, but the tunnel entrance is hard to find - almost as though it’s covered by illusion magic.

Yahaba wouldn’t put it past Matsukawa.

Turning back, he hurries to catch up to Matsukawa, knowing he’d get lost in this forest without him.

He nearly slips a few times as they walk through the forest, the mud slick and the sudden drops proving to be difficult to get footing on. Matsukawa seems to have an easier time, not once slipping, and Yahaba glares at his back the whole way.

The seventh time he nearly slides down a slope onto his face, Yahaba groans and Matsukawa pauses to look back at him. “How much further do we have to move through the forest?” Yahaba scowls, flicking the mud from his hand where he caught himself. “This is getting _ridiculous_!”

“Ree… dick… loss?” Matsukawa says, but his mouth isn’t moving. Yahaba stares at him with his brows furrowing, the rain pattering on the trees the only sound.

“Yes, ridiculous. Why did you say it like that?”

Matsukawa raises an eyebrow and huffs a laugh. “I didn’t say anything, he did,” he says, pointing up.

Yahaba hesitates, slowly turning his gaze up to where Matsukawa is pointing. Up in the trees, a beast sits on the lowest branch, staring down at Yahaba with a questioning look.

Now that he thinks about it, it didn’t sound like Matsukawa before. No, the rain distorted some of the sound, but he’s recalling the way the voice sounded as this beast begins to say something - unfortunately it’s in their language, and Yahaba has no idea what is being said.

The beast scoffs and turns to Matsukawa, saying something to him but once again, Yahaba doesn’t recognise the words. He does catch that the beast has said “Issei” but, for all he knows, there’s a word in their language that sounds like Matsukawa’s given name.

“Come down from there, Makki,” Matsukawa calls, laughing a little, “Yahaba won’t harm you.” He says something else, a little slower than before, but it’s also in the beast language.

Yahaba gapes at the Hand of the King, who smirks over at him before the beast - ‘Makki’ - jumps down between them, splashing some mud up from the path. The fur lined cloak he wore around his neck flutters down, the frayed ends splattering more mud about them and getting much dirtier in the process. He’s not sure what to do as the beast stands to his full height, which is just slightly taller than Yahaba himself.

His armor is similar to Kyoutani’s, only his chestplate actually covers his chest. In fact, it’s the most armor he’s seen on a beast, and he wonders if ‘Makki’ prefers more protection and less scarring. ‘Makki’s legs have no armor though, some cloth and furs covering his lower half but exposing his thighs. His boots were exactly like Iwaizumi and Kyoutani’s - leather with fur lining. His hair is short and straight, light brown in color with hues of what appears to be pink. Beneath his right eye, there’s a red line that at first glance looks like a scar, but Yahaba isn’t so sure it’s a scar the longer he looks at it.

“Yahaba,” Matsukawa calls, stepping closer to stand beside the beast. He glances between the two, watching ‘Makki’ turn to focus on Matsukawa as well. Matsukawa places a hand on ‘Makki’s shoulder and smiles at him, turning back to Yahaba and nodding towards the beast. “This is Hanamaki, the current leader of the Dark Forest’s beast tribe.”

Hanamaki turns back to Yahaba with a grin, his clawed hand outstretched. “Yahaba,” he says, as though he’s trying out the name, “smell Kyoutani - he good?”

Yahaba stares at Iwaizumi’s second in command before staring down at his outstretched hand. Slowly, he reaches out and shakes it, the hold firm when Hanamaki latches onto the shake. “Uh… yeah, Kyoutani is well.”

He seems to brighten at this, turning to Matsukawa and saying something in a rush before pulling his hand away. Matsukawa looks amused, shaking his head. “You need to slow down, I don’t understand you that well and Yahaba doesn’t understand you at all.”

Hanamaki nods, blinking a little in confusion before he huffs a sigh and says, “Kyoutani no… cause no… trouble?”

“He has not caused trouble,” Matsukawa answers, shaking his head, “Kyoutani stays in Yahaba’s room.”

This makes Hanamaki look back at Yahaba. “Kyoutani claim?” He sounds surprised, as though he doesn’t believe it, and even begins to sniff at Yahaba. Yahaba’s so shocked by the question that he doesn’t know how to answer and remains stiff as Hanamaki sniffs the air around him. Hanamaki pulls back, frowning to himself. “No… claim no… smell Kyoutani with claim no…?”

Matsukawa laughs, “I think you mean you smell Kyoutani despite there being no claim…?”

Hanamaki nods, frowning again. “Wizard word hard…”

“Well, I could use the translation spell on you,” Matsukawa folds his arms and sighs, “but you keep saying no.”

“Makki learn,” Hanamaki says, waving his hand in dismissal. “Why Yahaba? Where Kindaichi?”

Yahaba straightens at this and focuses on Matsukawa. “This is one of Kindaichi’s secrets, isn’t it?” Matsukawa simply nods. “How is this a promise that will expire in a month?!”

Matsukawa sighs, Hanamaki looking between them in confusion. “Kindaichi trouble?”

“He’s okay, Makki,” Matsukawa says, patting his shoulder. “Kindaichi had something to do today.”

“See no Kindaichi for time,” Hanamaki shakes his head, “Kunimi sad.”

Yahaba and Matsukawa share a glance at this. “Kindaichi is supposed to come here at least three times a week…”

Hanamaki shakes his head again, “Kindaichi come not for days.”

Crossing his arms, Yahaba glares at Matsukawa. “Well, what _else_ do you have Kindaichi doing for you? A-and for that matter, why is he meeting with Iwaizumi’s second?”

Matsukawa sighs, rubbing his neck. “I swear to you Yahaba, there are only three secrets Kindaichi is promised to keep - the first is Oikawa and Iwaizumi’s wedding, and the second is meeting with the beast tribe to discuss negotiations and plans for me.”

Yahaba narrows his eyes. “And the third?”

“That one is personal,” Matsukawa mutters, looking away. “Kindaichi is the one to initiate that seal anyway, and I don’t think he planned for it to ever be revealed.”

He doesn’t like the sound of that. “Wait, if he initiated the third, then—”

“I’m also keeping that secret,” Matsukawa nods, “neither of us can reveal it.”

Yahaba stares at him, the rain finally soaking through his hood and a drop of water streaks down his cheek. It hits his lashes, and he blinks quickly to rid himself of the wetness. “So then… why am I here?”

Hanamaki hums, turning his head to say something to Matsukawa. Yahaba catches Oikawa’s name, but he doesn’t know what it was in regards to, especially when Hanamaki glances back to Yahaba.

Matsukawa nods at his words, and answers - very slowly - in the beast language.

The only thing Yahaba is in relation to Oikawa is his student, but why would the beasts care? More importantly, has Oikawa met Hanamaki?

They both turn their backs to Yahaba and begin to move further into the forest, Matsukawa gesturing for Yahaba to follow after. He watches them go for a moment, trying to figure out why he should even bother. Sighing, Yahaba quickens his pace and hurries after them.

They’re still muttering to one another, occasionally using wizard language here and there when one isn’t sure how best to explain what he’s saying, and still Yahaba is left in the dark. Even with the words he understands, he isn’t sure how they fit into the conversation or what the conversation even entails.

Getting fed up with it, Yahaba takes a deep breath to ask when they break through the trees to a clearing devoid of rainfall. Yahaba gapes at it, Matsukawa and Hanamaki continuing on as though nothing had changed.

The clearing didn’t seem to have any rain, the sunshine coming from the break in the canopy above illuminating the area beautifully. A few large trees remained in the center of the clearing, giving some shade, but lonely enough that they didn’t create a feel for a forest center. But aside from the strange lack of rain, there were many people milling about within the clearing that held Yahaba’s attention.

Not just any regular humans, though - they were beasts. Specifically the beasts of the Dark Forest.

Their homes were made from logs of wood and some made from cloth, as though they were only temporary and would be moved from time to time. It looks as though the clearing was large enough for the whole Dark Forest tribe to live, but it stretched out beyond the trees surrounding the clearing - some of the homes were high up in the trees, and in the distance, Yahaba could see beasts walking around in the forest itself.

If anything, this clearing was the central location of the tribe’s home within the forest itself, and just standing on the edge of it felt like he was walking through a doorway to another world from how peaceful and warm it is within the clearing.

Yahaba couldn’t think of any reason the clearing would be so sunny and warm when just past the treeline, he stood sopping wet and continued to be rained upon.

The beasts themselves paid him no mind, though some did glance at Matsukawa and hurry a little faster from him. All of them wore little bits of cloth and furs like every other beast Yahaba has seen, some with limited armor in place on their body, and others without any armor at all. All of them had at least one or two scars marring their skin, but it fit them so well, it seemed as though they’d been born with it.

Children were running and playing, some wrestling and clawing at one another but laughing all the same. Women and men without armor were carrying baskets with food or cloth and seem to be chatting away. Other men and women with armor stood tall, talking quickly or wrestling like the children, only they aren’t laughing and look to be more concentrated on their attacks.

Through this window of another world, Yahaba watches them all act as any wizard would and feels his heart pang a little more at the thought of treating any of them like animals. They were so utterly human that it hurt to even think of what other wizards would have done if they stood in his boots.

“You smell like Kyoutani,” someone says, and Yahaba jumps in surprise, clutching at his chest and rounding to see who it is. The beast standing beside him stares at him, eyes lidded and unconcerned, with his straight black hair plastered to his skin. “But… no, he has not claimed you… he wants to though, doesn’t he?”

Yahaba gulps, staring at this beast in confusion. “E… excuse me?”

“Sorry, maybe I’m assuming too much,” he mumbles, shaking his head a little and looking towards the clearing where Matsukawa and Hanamaki have stopped. “You’re with Matsukawa… but where is Kindaichi?”

Frowning, Yahaba stands a little straighter and pulls the hood from his head, the rain now falling directly into his hair. “I don’t know where Kindaichi is, Matsukawa asked me to follow him here… aren’t you a beast?”

He turns back to Yahaba, one brow raised. “Obviously, like you are a wizard.”

“Then… how are you speaking my language so perfectly?”

A shrug is his response, “your magic is strange, but it helped…” He moves around Yahaba, pushing past the trees to stand in the warmth of the clearing instead. He stops and looks back at Yahaba, nodding towards the two he’d followed here. “Are you coming?”

Yahaba hesitates, biting his lip before he takes the final step past the treeline. Immediately, he feels warm and… dry. Glancing down, Yahaba notes his clothing is no longer sopping wet, and he wonders what magic was done to give the beasts such a serene clearing for their home.

The beast he’d met is speaking with Hanamaki and Matsukawa now, so Yahaba hurries over to them, avoiding the gazes of the beasts who stopped what they were doing when they noticed him. Matsukawa nods to him, gesturing to the beast who stood about the same height as him.

“Yahaba, this is Kunimi. He’s the healer in their tribe,” Matsukawa says, and Yahaba stares at him. “Kindaichi and he get along pretty well, right Makki?”

Hanamaki nods, “Kindaichi always next Kunimi when he come.”

Kunimi sighs, and Yahaba looks him over a bit. He didn’t really have armor, and the cloth he wore seemed simple enough. There was one thing he did notice, and that was the light blue swirl on his shoulder, like a tattoo of some kind.

“I thought only the leaders of tribes had tattoos?” Yahaba asks, his eyes on Kunimi’s shoulder. The other three glance down at it, trying to see what Yahaba is talking about.

Hanamaki hums, scratching his chin. “Iwaizumi have many mark. Iwaizumi leader. Kunimi have one mark. Kunimi heal.”

None of the other beasts under control of the Magic Council that he’d met had marks on their bodies, only ‘Two’. Yahaba frowns, figures it’s at least a good thing that none of the other tribe’s have lost their healer.

Hanamaki points to the red line under his eye before he pulls at the strap on his chest plate to move it aside, and underneath the plate Yahaba sees a few terrible scars, as well as a different design in red. “Makki have two mark. Makki second Iwaizumi.”

Kunimi sighs, “that doesn’t mean Hanamaki is the heir though…”

Yahaba focuses on him, frowning a little. That’s an odd thing to explain, but he doesn’t know how to ask what Kunimi means.

Matsukawa nods, gesturing behind himself. “We should get moving, Yahaba and I can’t be gone for too long.”

They follow Hanamaki to one of the few buildings made from logs, and Yahaba wonders about its structure. Inside, it seems to be a place where the people gather for talking or even food, judging from the smell of something being cooked and the fur placements in the center of the room. He isn’t too sure until Hanamaki takes a seat on one of the fur cushions, tossing aside the tattered and dirty cloak he wore, and the rest of them follow suit. There are other seats, but no one else joins the four of them.

Yahaba bites his lip, turning to Matsukawa before the conversation starts. “Why couldn’t I bring Kyoutani?”

“His soul is being watched over,” Matsukawa mumbles, “the Magic Council always knows where he is… it only last for a while though.”

“... so wait, they—”

“They don’t hear anything or see anything,” Matsukawa waves off the unspoken worries, “they only know his location. It’s because he’s new to their experiments - the spell should wear off soon.”

“How soon?”

“Within the next few days; it lasts for just over three months is all.” Yahaba feels better about that, but before he can ask something else, Matsukawa holds up his hand. “Yahaba, please, we need to discuss things with them.”

Yahaba glances over to Kunimi and Hanamaki, both of whom were watching the two wizards speak. Kunimi appears to be bored, but Hanamaki looks very interested. “Kyoutani safe?”

“He is indeed, Makki,” Matsukawa nods, “I know you’ve been worried.”

“Worried? But why?” Yahaba asks, looking to Hanamaki. “Kyoutani seems strong enough to handle himself…”

Hanamaki frowns, almost as though he is pouting. “Makki send Kyoutani find Iwaizumi. Kyoutani come back no.”

“Kyoutani did not come back,” Kunimi corrects, shaking his head. “Forgive Hanamaki, he’s trying to learn wizard language without the help of magic.”

“Makki fast learn,” Hanamaki proudly declares, his grin too genuine for Yahaba to question just how quickly he’s been learning. His grin drops and he leans forward onto his thighs, eyes narrowing. “Important work be done…”

Matsukawa nods, looking to Yahaba. “Lately, we’ve been discussing how best to handle the Hollow Body Phantom and its Storm, especially after you confirmed that was what you and Kyoutani faced.”

Hanamaki hangs his head at this, a deep sigh coming from him. “Kyoutani almost death… all Makki fault…”

Kunimi reaches over and pats Hanamaki’s shoulder. “The important thing is that he didn’t die, thanks to Yahaba.”

Hanamaki looks up and nods quickly, staring at Yahaba. “Oikawa teach well.”

“Have you met Oikawa?” Yahaba asks, unable to hold back.

“Yes, only one,” Hanamaki hums, looking to the ceiling in thought. “He call Makki ‘Makki’, so now Makki is Makki.”

Kunimi closes his eyes, as though it pains him to hold back on correcting him.

Matsukawa on the other hand laughs. “Oikawa and I met Makki together, and from that day forward, I was asked to meet with him to pass messages along for Iwaizumi and Makki.”

Hanamaki smiles, “Issei kind. Iwaizumi do well. Claim powerful wizard. Make peace for _komshae_.”

Yahaba isn’t familiar with this word, but Matsukawa answers for him. “Their word for their kind - the closest translation I could find is something like… ‘strong man’ or ‘hard man’ or something.”

Kunimi frowns, shaking his head. “It… it doesn’t seem to have a word in your language. Beast is most fitting, but it makes us sound savage.”

Nodding, Yahaba gestures between them all, eager to change the subject. “Well, what do we know about the Hollow Body Phantom?”

“It’s not as unkillable as our people first thought,” Kunimi answers, sitting back against the wall and crossing his arms. “The stories we told for generations suggested that the _Yovoisure_ and _Acem_ were at war, fighting for control of the world. _Yovoisure_ killed human-kind until we were nearly extinct, and while _Acem_ didn’t care for human-kind, we were children of _Fimar_ and _Snokar_ , who _Acem_ worshipped.”

Yahaba knows his mouth is hanging open a little, but he can’t help it. “I… I’m not sure… who are ‘Fee-mare’ and ‘Snow-care’?”

Matsukawa snorts, “ _Fimar_ is the Sun, and _Snokar_ is the Moon. Wizards have a similar myth about beasts being born from the Sun and wizards being born from the Moon - that the Sun didn’t give over control of magic because he believed the beasts were strong enough without it, but the Moon felt the need to protect her children so wizards were able to take control of their magic.”

“It is the same for us,” Kunimi nods, “but _Fimar_ didn’t keep control over magic because he felt we were strong enough. It was because he felt his light could protect us enough that we wouldn’t need magic, while _Snokar_ feared our strength and gave wizards magic.”

Yahaba remembered the myth well enough - five months ago, Oikawa had asked Yahaba about his opinion of being born a child of the moon. Yahaba had explained to Oikawa that he didn’t like that story as a child because it meant anyone born during the time the sun was up wasn’t meant to control magic, and he himself had been born during the first rays of sunlight. Oikawa had disagreed - though he was born during the darkest night of a New Moon and without a speck of sunlight - and told Yahaba that the magic of all humans was equal; you just needed to know how to use it.

At the time, Yahaba figured Oikawa was just reading up on old stories and wanted to talk to someone about what it might have meant. But now that he knows about Oikawa courting Iwaizumi during that time, he wonders if Oikawa meant to ask about Yahaba’s opinion of the children of the sun - specifically, what it meant for the offspring of the sun and the moon to come together.

It was a little ridiculous though, so Yahaba stopped himself from thinking any further about it - especially since anything involving Oikawa and Iwaizumi’s union only made him wonder about his future with Kyoutani.

“Either way, _Acem_ respected _Fimar_ and _Snokar_ , so _Acem_ turned to other creatures for help,” Kunimi continues on, cutting into Hanamaki and Matsukawa’s broken discussion on the sun and the moon. “From what I understand, there are four cardinal elements that assisted _Acem_ in ending the battle with _Yovoisure_ were _Lome, Shen, Fute,_ and _Minle_.”

Matsukawa nods, “Water, Air, Fire, and Earth… or are you saying North, East, South, and West?”

“They mean the same,” Kunimi nods, “so it is both.”

Yahaba bites his lip, uncertain of what this could mean. “So… we need to find the elements?”

Kunimi shrugs, “I’m not sure. It sounds like it, but…”

“Element alive?” Hanamaki asks, scratching at his neck, “Element real? We find element?”

“Good point,” Matsukawa nods, “we don’t even know if they’re real.”

“ _Yovoisure_ is real,” Kunimi points out, “and because the remembrance lily is something I use on a regular basis and have seen the infected ones more than enough, I’d say it’s safe to call _Acem_ real as well.”

“How strong are the elements, though?” Yahaba asks, “I mean, I’ve read through plenty of myths because of Oikawa, but I’ve never seen any mention of elements before.”

Matsukawa stares at him then. “What do you mean? The elements come up plenty of times.”

“No, they don’t - if anything, they’re background players in the stories, but they never come up as being important.” Yahaba chews on his lip, trying to think back to what his book said about the Hollow Body Phantom. “I read through the pages about the Phantom enough times, Matsukawa… there’s nothing about cardinal elements.”

Kunimi sighs, “that’s a set back then. All of our myths have crossed over enough to say there must be some truth, but if there’s nothing in the wizard stories about the cardinal elements—”

“I swear, I’ve read about them!” Matsukawa says, his brows furrowed in thought. “Where did I read about them…?”

Yahaba stares at him, wishing he could help. Hanamaki reaches over and pats Matsukawa’s shoulder, and Yahaba sees the worry in his eyes. Kunimi remains silent, picking at his claws as the silence drags on.

Finally, Matsukawa’s shoulders slump and he sighs. “I don’t remember… Oikawa loves myths and legends, maybe I should ask him.”

Yahaba nods, smiling at the thought of speaking with Oikawa again. “So if the elements are real, what will we do?”

“Find them, probably,” Kunimi mumbles, shrugging a little. “I don’t know what else can be done, considering the report from Iwaizumi said you don’t know how you defeated the _Yovoisure_ that nearly killed you and Kyoutani.”

“I… I mean,” Yahaba scratches at the back of his neck, “I could try to figure it out…”

Matsukawa shakes his head. “After what it did to your hands, I wouldn’t want you to risk it.”

“But why?” Yahaba turns to him with a frown. “It’s not like I’m that important, why can’t I—”

“Yahaba, _don’t_ ,” Matsukawa demands, and the order is so firm that Yahaba feels himself shrink back. “You’re more important than you realize, don’t hurt yourself over a monster we could defeat another way…”

He nods, uncertain of what else to say, but the thought doesn’t leave his mind. Yahaba remains silent the rest of the meeting, Hanamaki asking Matsukawa to relay information to Iwaizumi about how the tribe is doing among other things. Kunimi seems to have fallen asleep as the two talk, and Yahaba watches him while waiting for Matsukawa.

Eventually they all stand, and Kunimi joins them to the edge of the clearing.

“Thank you, Issei,” Hanamaki says, shaking Matsukawa’s hand. “Makki very grateful.”

Matsukawa laughs, nodding at his words. “Of course, Makki, we’re friends! I’m more than happy to tell Iwaizumi everything you need him to know.”

Kunimi turns to Yahaba, gaining his attention. “Kindaichi is… okay?”

“I,” Yahaba hesitates, uncertain of his answer. “I think he is… I haven’t really been able to see him…”

Kunimi nods, frowning a little. “Tell him to be safe, please.”

Yahaba doesn’t answer, just stares at Kunimi. “Do you… think he’s in danger?”

“It’s been five days,” Kunimi mumbles, “I don’t know what to think.”

He gapes at Kunimi for a moment, and a chill runs down Yahaba’s spine for the second time that day.

“Let’s go, Yahaba,” Matsukawa calls, and Yahaba gulps, uncertain if he wants to leave. Kunimi doesn’t say anything else, turning to walk back into the center of the clearing and away from Yahaba. Yahaba watches him go before turning to Matsukawa, following him out of the clearing and through the forest.

It’s damp in the forest, and the rain hasn’t let up. It’s still not pouring, but Yahaba hates that his clothes are becoming damp once again. He flips his hood over his head within minutes of walking through the slick mud, and while he slips a few times, it’s not as bad as when they first came through this way.

“I’m worried about Kindaichi, too,” Matsukawa says, and Yahaba jerks a little in surprise. “Something has been off for a while now…”

“The other hands,” Yahaba starts, “is there a reason you asked for them?”

Matsukawa nods, “I wanted to gage their reactions to an idea of ending a war with the beasts and setting our sights on a bigger threat. Of course, it’s hard to breach that subject and I had to go about it in several different ways without letting on my true intentions…”

“What did you find?”

“Fukurodani is already set on no longer fighting beasts, that’s for sure,” Matsukawa chuckles a little, “your discussion with Lord Konoha helped me discover that… and Lord Sawamura suggested that Karasuno may be leaning the same way, but I’m still a little uncertain.”

Yahaba nods, “and the others?”

“Well, Lord Yaku is very tight lipped about everything in Nekoma, so it was hard to get anything out of him in general,” Matsukawa scoffs at this, “and Lord Semi is… well, he doesn’t seem to like me much.”

“In other words, you can only say for certain that Fukurodani is on our side,” Yahaba says, not feeling very comfortable with those odds.

“Yeah, and Fukurodani is already in a silent war with the Magic Council after what King Bokuto did, _and_ the fake meeting I called them all here for is over, so they’re leaving tomorrow,” Matsuakwa shakes his head. “Damnit, this is getting worse day by day…”

Yahaba doesn’t know how to answer that.

They continue on in silence, and the rain seems to pick up a little when Matsukawa pushes back some branches and suddenly the entrance of the tunnel is before them. “Get inside, we’re getting soaked…”

Yahaba steps carefully into the tunnel, turning around to watch Matsukawa enter the tunnel. “What should we do now?”

“Pray,” Matsukawa snorts, leaning back against the wall and staring out at the rain. “Figure out if the elements are real, and whether they like humans enough to help us with Hollow Body Phantom again…”

Gulping, Yahaba looks down to the gloves that cover the wounds on his hands and wonders about the magic he didn’t know he could do.

Matsukawa grabs his wrists and Yahaba gasps, looking up to the Hand of the King. “Yahaba, _don’t_.”

“But I—”

“You’re too important to ruin your body using magic you’re not capable of controlling,” Matsukawa says, pushing Yahaba’s hands down and releasing his hold. “Don’t go there.”

Yahaba frowns, “how am I too important?”

“Let Oikawa explain that to you.”

“No,” Yahaba snaps, “you’re here now, explain to me how I’m too important!”

Matsukawa sighs, looking to the rain again. “You should go… your beast is probably worried about you…”

Yahaba doesn’t move, the rain getting worse as he stands there. Matsukawa doesn’t flinch, he doesn’t even shift. It’s almost as though Matsukawa had become a statue, but he still blinks. The thought of Kyoutani being alone for so long however is enough to stir him into moving again, and Yahaba scowls as he turns to walk down the tunnel.

He feels the magic surrounding him before he registers what’s happening, but before Yahaba can even turn back to Matsukawa, his clothes are dry and the mud is gone. He stops, the darkness beginning to swallow him, but Yahaba doesn’t look back to the Hand of the King.

Waiting for a moment longer, Yahaba decides it isn’t worth it and begins to run down the tunnel, ignoring the darkness for as well as possible until the light at the exit dies out. Stopping, Yahaba catches his breath and holds out his hand, creating a small flame for light.

It’s not as bright as the orb Matsukawa had made, but it’s enough for Yahaba to see where he’s going. Standing straight, Yahaba continues down the hall and wonders about how he could be too important for anything to happen to him.

Oikawa hadn’t spoken to him for a week, and Yahaba could feel the tension rolling off of Matsukawa the entire time they were together. He wonders when the last time Oikawa spoke to his hand was, and Yahaba shakes the thought away. On top of that, no one seems to have seen Kindaichi, and that is worrying enough on its own.

Kyoutani is definitely waiting for him, and he’ll probably be upset that Yahaba had been to see his tribe without him. He’ll have to apologise as much as possible, considering Kyoutani spoke of them all so highly - or as highly as Kyoutani was willing to speak of anyone that wasn’t Yahaba.

Biting back his grin, Yahaba focuses on meeting with Kyoutani again and reminds himself that things will be okay so long as he has Kyoutani at his side. Before he knows it, the steep staircase is before him, and Yahaba begins to climb his way up to the entrance.

Putting out his flame, Yahaba senses for anyone on the other side and finds nothing. Taking a deep breath, he pushes the door open and slips out carefully, looking around for anyone who could have seen him before latching it closed again.

Straightening, Yahaba turns to walk down the hall as casually as he can. He thankfully doesn’t see anyone, and he feels his stomach flip at the thought of seeing Kyoutani sooner than expected.

Yahaba stops when he rounds the corner to his corridor, only one person standing in the middle of the hall. He’s older, with dark hair and dark eyes, but some wrinkles look to be forming. He’s not so old though that he’s started developing grey hair, but even so, his clothes are regal enough to bring Yahaba to a stop.

It’s hard not to recognise Seijou’s representative for the Magic Council, especially when Lord Irihata Nobuteru is standing across from your bedroom door.

Hesitating, Yahaba glances back the way he came before focusing on Lord Irihata again. The man hasn’t noticed Yahaba yet, and he hopes it remains that way.

Lord Irihata shifts a little, as though he’s heard something, before he turns and looks directly at Yahaba. His face lights up, like he has been waiting for Yahaba, and he moves closer to him. “Good evening; Yahaba, correct?”

Gulping, Yahaba nods and bows. “Good evening, Lord Irihata.”

He laughs, waving Yahaba back up. “My my, King Oikawa’s got such a polite student. And a bright one at that.”

Yahaba isn’t sure if he should speak, or if he should remain silent.

“I wasn’t so sure this was your room,” Lord Irihata goes on, gesturing to the door just a few steps away, “especially since no one answered. I waited, and luckily not too long after, you came along.”

He still doesn’t know what to say.

“I could sense Sixteen on the other side though,” he continues on, not at all bothered by Yahaba’s silence. “Did you order him to not answer the door when you’re not here?”

Yahaba bobs his head once, too afraid to open his mouth.

Lord Irihata nods as well, humming in thought. “Well, I’m glad I didn’t have to wait long… we need to speak with you, Yahaba, about our dear King Oikawa.”

He doesn’t even get the chance to ask for details - Irihata simply grabs hold of his elbow, and the corridor leading to his room is long behind him.


	15. Magic Council

It’s dark wherever Lord Irihata took him. Yahaba doesn’t feel the man’s hold on his arm anymore, and it’s cold where he stands. He knows better than to move, especially when the flame he was able to conjure in the tunnel doesn’t ignite in his hand. 

Magic doesn’t work wherever he is. 

Yahaba licks his lips, the chill of the air drying them soon after. For a moment, he feels like he could be moving, but the momentum isn’t really there. He pulls his cloak close around himself and tries to look around in the darkness.

There is nothing at first, but then a blinding light burns his eyes and he has to look away until his eyes adjust. 

White hot flames have suddenly appeared in the room around the edges. As his eyes adjust, Yahaba sees that it’s circular and large, and he stands in the center of it all. There are no windows, almost as if they’re underground from how damp it feels. A set of doors are directly behind him, and a large half moon table sits before him. 

Seated at the table is the Magic Council. 

Looking down to the circle he stands on, he understands the feeling he had now - they teleported him here using one of their many devices. Irihata had left him in the dark room to join them here in this room, and once they were ready, they brought him here. 

Yahaba takes a deep breath and looks up to the Magic Council. 

Lord Irihata sat to the far right, eyes on the table and back straight, his blue cloak hanging loose on his body. Beside him sat Lord Yamiji Takeyuki of the Lands of Autumn in the Kingdom of Fukurodani, who was more focused on the papers in his hand. He wore a white robe with a golden design, and looked as though the words on the papers were offending him. 

On the far left, Lord Nekomata Yasufumi from Nekoma’s Kingdom in the Frozen North sat back in his seat, watching Yahaba with a small smile. His fur robes look warm and cozy, though glistening with melted snow as though he’d just been in the north to visit his people. At his side sat Lord Ukai Ikkei of Karasuno, and Yahaba couldn’t focus too much on his intense gaze. He sat tall with his arms crossed, his black cloak covered by the light armor he wore on his chest, the only one with any form of protection on his body. 

In the center between Lords Ukai and Yamiji sat the Head Council Member, Lord Washijo Tanji, representative of the Sun Blessed Desert’s Kingdom of Shiratorizawa, and the creator of the Magic Council. His maroon robes looked thin and light compared to the others, which Yahaba could only contribute to the heat of the desert he hails from. 

Lord Washijo’s gaze bore into Yahaba’s very being, and the intensity was too great to be able to look away compared to Lord Ukai. He felt the need to step back, but found he could not move his feet.

There’s a few moments of silence as Yahaba stands before them until Lord Yamiji sets down the papers and turns his attention to Yahaba, prompting Lord Irihata to do the same. Yahaba stares back at his kingdom’s representative, but Irihata seems to be trying to look past him. 

“Do you know why we called for you, Yahaba?” Lord Washijo starts, making Yahaba turn his focus back to the Head Council Member. Washijo’s brows are knit together, and Yahaba has no idea how to answer. 

It seems they’re all waiting for a response, so Yahaba gulps and says, “Lord Irihata mentioned… it’s about King Oikawa, isn’t it?”

Nekomata’s smile grows just a fraction. 

“Precisely,” Washijo nods, picking up one of the papers Yamiji was looking at before and glancing at it. “You are his student, correct?”

“Yes.”

“And you were named a Top Tier Wizard three months ago, correct?”

“Yes, but no one was told about this,” Yahaba murmurs, recalling the ceremony. 

It had been quiet, held in Oikawa’s chambers with only Matsukawa and Watari present - and now that he knows, Iwaizumi as well. Oikawa had lead the ceremony, saying all the right things and giving Yahaba the golden band he wore on his head with pride. He’d told Yahaba it was once his, and Yahaba felt honored. The Kingdom eventually learned about his status change, but the rest of the kingdoms…

Washijo nods, “we hadn’t approved the change to your title then.”

Yahaba stares at him. “Why?”

“Because Oikawa decided for himself things that weren’t necessary at the time,” Irihata says, voice soft. Yahaba turns his gaze to him, and Irihata meets his eye. 

“So as his punishment, we didn’t allow for the news to spread through the kingdoms,” Washijo continues, “honestly, that boy became king far too early.”

“The same could be said for my king, Washijo,” Nekomata interjects, turning away from Yahaba to look at Washijo, “in fact, in the last year alone, so many young kings and a young queen have been crowned. Oikawa was the first, but he wasn’t alone.”

Washijo huffs, gesturing to Ukai, “well it’s not as if King Ushijima or Queen Shimizu have done whatever they please!”

Nekomata frowns, “neither has King Kozume, though. And we only know King Bokuto has committed treason, we’re not certain of King Oikawa.”

Ukai nods, pushing Washijo’s hand away. “You’re just being overly suspicious of the boy, Washijo…”

“He assisted Bokuto six months ago!” Washijo argues, “sending those traders from Johzenji to Fukurodani with supplies like that, how _dare_ he?”

Yamiji frowns, narrowing his eyes. “I still think you’re taking this a little too far. Bokuto is a good lad, you don’t need to cut off all supplies just because Bokuto thought a beast was pretty.”

Washijo turns to Yamiji and shakes his head. “You’re too lenient on the boy. This is why he betrayed us!” He shifts his focus to Irihata and points to him. “Same to you with Oikawa - I’m certain he’s decided to sleep with that disgusting beast Four you gave him!”

Irihata frowns, “if King Oikawa has fallen for a beast, who am I to judge?”

Yahaba gapes at the Magic Council, watching the rest as they seem to agree with Irihata. 

Washijo, on the other hand, looks appalled. “These beasts are monsters, Irihata! You would let him bed the very monster who tried to kill you?”

Irihata shifts in his seat, “Four has no free will, Washijo. We all know this. Only King Bokuto has freed a beast, and we’re still not sure how he did it.”

Yahaba gulps, a chill ghosting the back of his neck. 

“And I like to think that King Oikawa wouldn’t make someone with no mind of his own sleep with him, so I wouldn’t worry about it,” Irihata finishes, shrugging a little. “This is all just on an assumption and random pieces that don’t quite fit; you have no proof that King Oikawa has done wrong.”

“I have a boy with sealed promises in his arm and knights claiming Four does things without prompting!” Washijo slams his fist on the desk, glaring at Irihata. “That’s all the proof I need!”

Yahaba stares at the man, knowing his jaw is hanging open but not caring at all. “Kindaichi…?”

They all turn to Yahaba as though they’d forgotten he was there. “Yes, Kindaichi, student of Oikawa’s foolish hand,” Washijo answers, folding his hands together on the table. “Seems Matsukawa has forgotten his duties as Hand of the King in Seijou and made the poor boy take in sealed promises with him.”

Yahaba feels like he might be shaking. “Is he okay…?”

“Kindaichi is fine,” Washijo waves away his concerns, “but these promises seem to be for his silence, and trying to break a sealed promise… well, I’m sure your teacher has explained how dangerous that can be.”

Dangerous? It results in the death of the holder for the sealed promise if you try to break it. 

Yahaba nods though, and Washijo nods back. “Tell me Yahaba, what’s your opinion for the beast experiments?”

He gulps - is he meant to be honest here? The other council members don’t seem to have qualms over the experiments, but they also seem to sympathise with King Bokuto in some way. Maybe even King Oikawa, assuming their agreements with Lord Irihata is enough to know for sure they don’t mind it. 

It was hard to tell at this point. 

“Uh…”

“It bothers you, doesn’t it?” Nekomata asks, voice sincere. Yahaba remains silent and he chuckles. “It’s okay, I know King Kozume was bothered as well when he was still only a prince…”

Washijo scoffs, “nothing to be bothered about. One did attack Kozume when he was young, you did what you had to, Nekomata!”

Nekomata doesn’t respond, remaining focused on Yahaba. 

“And you’re the one who suggested we tame the beast, Ukai,” Washijo continues, looking at the older man. 

Ukai snorts, “whether I did or not doesn’t matter. People felt safer after the beasts were tamed, but it doesn’t make it right.”

“True,” Yamiji says, rubbing his chin in thought, “but it’s not as though beasts are capable of being civil, and as it stands, the people are afraid of beasts when they aren’t tamed.”

“How many fled Fukurodani?” Washijo asks, and Yamiji flinches. “How many wizards fled the Lands of Autumn when Bokuto freed that beast?”

“... too many.”

“Precisely,” Washijo nods, satisfied. 

Yahaba bites his lip. “I…”

They all turn to look at him again. Irihata nods subtly, waiting for Yahaba to continue. 

“I… don’t think it’s right,” Yahaba finishes, and he sees Washijo shift in his seat, “but… if it makes people feel safer that beasts like ‘Four’ and ‘Sixteen’ are tamed like that, then… what else can be done?”

It felt awful to say that. Iwaizumi seems calm and kind, and Kyoutani… well, Kyoutani is amazing. Yahaba feels content with Kyoutani by his side, and during this past week at night, he’s felt warm and safe with Kyoutani lying beside him, holding his hand and keeping his distance in the bed. “Make sure Yahaba comfortable” is what he said, but Yahaba wonders if maybe he was more concerned with controlling himself from claiming Yahaba when they should be sleeping. 

No, Yahaba is certain Kyoutani wouldn’t just force himself on him. He has control, no matter what the Magic Council thinks. 

Washijo nods though, accepting Yahaba’s words. “That Sixteen was a menace when it was brought to us. Oikawa said when he found you that the beast was hovering over you as though it was watching you die and that the other top tiers were completely ripped to shreds. A shame, really…”

Yahaba says nothing. He knows the truth - knows that Kyoutani was protecting himself and never killed anyone. At least not during the time Washijo is referencing. 

“Does it bother you?” Irihata asks, and Yahaba turns to him, confused. “That the beast we gave you tried to kill you before it was tamed.”

Before he can answer, Washijo scoffs again and shakes his head. “If it bothers him then Oikawa shouldn’t have suggested it in the first place!”

“It doesn’t bother me,” Yahaba snaps, “he… he’s tame, so I’m not bothered by having him.”

More than that - Yahaba knows Kyoutani would never hurt him. 

The council is watching him again, so Yahaba stands a little straighter and shifts his face into a calmer expression. 

Washijo clicks his tongue and sits forward, nodding to himself. “Well, that’s not why you’re here anyway. What can you tell us about Oikawa and Four?”

Yahaba stares at him, recalling what Matsukawa had said about protecting himself. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Is Four still under the control of the device?”

He takes a deep breath. “As far as I can tell, yes.”

Washijo doesn’t look convinced. “Then what wedding were you speaking to Matsukawa about?”

“Wedding…?” Yahaba breathes, staring at the older man. 

“A secret wedding at that,” Washijo sneers, “apparently it was beautiful.”

Yahaba feels cold despite the white hot flames. “I…”

“It’s okay, Yahaba,” Irihata says, “you can tell us the truth.”

No, he can’t. He’d be betraying his king. 

Yahaba tries to think of an excuse, any at all, but only one thing comes to mind. 

“It was my wedding,” he hurries to say, surprising the council. “To Terushima from Johzenji.”

Each one of them has a different reaction. Nekomata is smiling softly, almost like he doesn’t believe him. Ukai has a brow raised, skeptical. Yamiji‘s eyes have widened in surprise. Irihata is gaping at him, almost in disbelief. And Washijo…

Washijo looks unamused. “Why in the name of the Gods would you marry someone from Johzenji?”

Gulping, Yahaba tries to think of a reason. “I… love him?”

“There’s no need to lie, Yahaba,” Nekomata says, chuckling a little. “There was no ounce of love in your voice when you said the boy’s name, you haven’t married him.”

Yahaba shudders, worried the truth will come out. “I—”

“Why lie?” Washijo snaps, crossing his arms. “Just tell us the truth!”

His voice is caught in his throat. Yahaba doesn’t know what will happen here - he could potentially get his king killed - maybe even endanger the whole kingdom like Fukurodani. That’s the last thing he wants. 

Doesn’t seem to matter what he wants though, as the doors slam open and they all turn to the entrance. Yahaba’s eyes widen and he gawks at the intruder. 

King Oikawa himself is storming into the room, his clothes fluttering behind him in a flurry of blue and silver, his crown perched on his head and curling the ends of his hair even more.

Irihata stands, “Oikawa, what are you—”

“What _I_ am doing is collecting my heir from this interrogation!” Oikawa shouts, coming to a stop beside Yahaba, who feels faint at the mention of heir. 

Washijo shakes his head. “He’s not your heir, even if you grant him top tier status without our consent!”

“I have been training him to become my heir for months now,” Oikawa retorts, and Yahaba gapes at him. “He will be my heir and there is nothing you can do about it! The royal council of Seijou has already agreed upon this.”

The Magic Council turn to Irihata, who’s gaping at Oikawa as well. “I wasn’t informed of this—“

“It was just agreed upon,” Oikawa interrupts, “I would have told you, but it seems you have him here for interrogation.”

Ukai huffs a laugh and Yahaba turns to him now. “Congratulations, you’re the Heir of Seijou.” Nekomata smiles and Yamiji nods to him. 

Irihata looks to Washijo, “four out of five have agreed, Washijo. Yahaba is the Heir if Seijou.”

Washijo scowls. “He’s lying to us!”

Oikawa steps closer to their table, glaring at Washijo without fear. “I am not lying to you, he—”

“Not you,” Washijo snaps, standing and pointing to Yahaba, “he is!”

Oikawa turns to look over at Yahaba, and Yahaba stares back, trying desperately to tell his king what was happening. 

“What are you asking him?” Oikawa turns back, crossing his arms. “If anything, he’s protecting me.”

“That’s exactly what he’s doing,” Washijo says, glaring at Oikawa, “because he knows that if he tells us what we already know, you’ll be executed for treason.”

Silence fills the room. 

“Executed?” Irihata mutters, staring incredulously at Washijo. “When did we agree to that?”

Washijo grabs the paperwork before Yamiji and throws the packet to Irihata. “The law of the beasts! Section A Point Five! Any wizard who beds a beast will be exiled - we agreed to this years ago!”

Irihata is going through the papers, his face growing more concerned as he reads through the passages. “I…”

“Section A Point Six: to wed a beast is execution,” Washijo goes on, turning back to Oikawa. Yahaba’s staring at the back of his king, growing more and more worried and unable to move. “Answer me this, Oikawa - have you married your beast?”

Yahaba doesn’t know what to do, watching his king stand before the council in silence. Oikawa doesn’t look at him, his back straight and shoulders back as he stares into Washijo’s eyes. 

“What’s going to happen to my heir?” Oikawa murmurs, and Yahaba wants to protest - this isn’t about Yahaba or his safety, but about his king - his teacher - his… friend. Oikawa still doesn’t look back. 

“If you admit to it now, he’ll be safe,” Washijo says, “and we'll pretend this never happened with him.”

“That’s not—”

“Deal,” Oikawa cuts Yahaba off, dropping his crossed arms and standing even straighter before reaching into the folds of his high collared shirt and pulling out his necklace for all to see. “I am married to Iwaizumi.”

Irihata shakes his head, looking to the floor. Yamiji, Nekomata, and Ukai all close their eyes and give a deep sigh. Washijo simply nods. 

“For your crimes against the Magic Council, you are sentenced to death—”

“ _No_!” Yahaba shouts, trying desperately to move from the circle but unable to even lift his feet. “Please, you can’t do this! He hasn’t done any—”

“ _Silence_!” Washijo shouts, the flames growing and burning hotter around the edge of the room. “Hold your tongue or you will be sentenced as well for trying to lie to us! Don’t forget, he has agreed to this for your own safety!”

Oikawa glances over his shoulder, a small smile on his lips. “It’s okay, Yahaba - you’ll make a good king.”

Yahaba gapes at him, feeling numb as Washijo continues with his sentencing. He can’t hear it though, not over the pounding in his ears from his racing heart. 

He’s sweating he thinks, his fingers feeling slick as they hang uselessly at his sides. The only thing he sees is Oikawa, his back to him, as he stands there in all his grace, being told how he’ll die. Yahaba wants so badly to reach out, to stop this whole thing, and save his king. 

His lips are shaking as he watches on until Oikawa finally turns, grabbing Yahaba’s arm. His touch seems to break the silence over Yahaba’s ears and he hears Washijo demand where Oikawa thinks he is going. 

“I may be set for execution,” Oikawa says, turning back to glare at Washijo, “but I am still a king. Until my death, I will be returning to my castle with my heir and I will finish preparations for Yahaba’s coronation. Good day, Council.”

Suddenly, Yahaba feels a pull on his body and the room changes to Oikawa’s chambers. 

He feels dizzy, the teleportation making him nauseous and he clutches onto Oikawa, his knees giving out. He’s thankful they didn’t wind up phasing through a table or something and getting stuck within it. 

“Iwa-chan, get KyouKen,” Oikawa says, holding Yahaba close and sitting on the floor with him. He hears someone move before doors slam open and shut, and Yahaba can only assume that it was Iwaizumi. “Yahaba, calm down,” he hears Oikawa whisper, a warm hand rubbing his shoulder. 

Yahaba gasps, not fully aware that he was sobbing until he went to respond. “W-why would you…?”

Oikawa hushes him, cradling him closer. “It’s okay, Yahaba.”

“N-n-no,” he shakes his head, “it ca-can’t be…!”

“Yahaba, please stop speaking,” Oikawa mumbles, rubbing his back now. “It’s alright, I don’t mind…”

“Y-you’ll _die_!”

“Better me than you…”

“No! Oi-Oikawa you’re—“

“ _Yahaba_ ,” Oikawa cuts him off, grabbing his shoulders and giving a small shake, “stop it! Nothing is wrong!”

Shaking, Yahaba pulls back to look up at Oikawa, hiccuping a little. He stares at his teacher, and Oikawa stares back. His face is stern, eyes hard and dark. Yahaba doesn’t understand how any of this can be okay. 

“Oikawa, they’re going to _kill_ you!”

“What…?” Someone asks, and they both twist to see who it is. Iwaizumi stands over them with the most confused expression Yahaba has ever seen, Kyoutani a few paces away and gaping at them. “What’s going on?”

Oikawa sighs, shaking his head. “The Magic Council found out about us, Iwa-chan…”

Iwaizumi’s lips thin and his brows furrow. “How?”

“I don’t know, but it doesn’t matter,” Oikawa answers, pulling away from Yahaba to stand. Yahaba sniffles, watching him go to the table with the map. “I am to be executed in three days - which is also when Yahaba will be announced as heir. Then his coronation will be the following week…”

It’s too soon - too fast, and definitely not something Yahaba ever agreed to. “N-no,” he shakes his head, trying to stand. Kyoutani is suddenly beside him, helping him stand and holding him up. “Oikawa, I won’t become king! _You’re_ the king, I—”

“I’m going to die, Yahaba,” Oikawa snaps, turning around, “don’t you get it? Nothing can be done! You’re my heir, both councils have agreed to this! You’ll be king in a week…”

Yahaba stares at him, trying to think of anything to fix this. “What… what will happen to the kingdom…?”

Oikawa seems to pause, looking to his hands before meeting Yahaba’s eyes again. “I… nothing will happen, you’ll make for a good king, Yahaba.”

“What about Matsukawa?” He bites his lip, looking to Iwaizumi, “or Iwaizumi? Kyoutani? Kindaichi? Is anyone safe at this point?”

Oikawa shakes his head, “I’m the only one sentenced to death, Yahaba. I don’t know what they’ll do to Iwa-chan, but everyone else… you all should be safe…”

Iwaizumi moves to Oikawa’s side, reaching out slowly to hold his hand. “Oikawa…”

“I’m sorry, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa whispers, pressing forward to rest his forehead against Iwaizumi’s, “that our marriage was short lived…”

Yahaba looks away when Iwaizumi reaches up and cups Oikawa’s face, and he does his best to ignore the words Iwaizumi whispers next. Kyoutani is looking over Yahaba, worry in his eyes and Yahaba falls against him, uncertain of what more can be done.

The door clicks and everyone turns to see who it is. Matsukawa stands with his back against the door, head hanging in shame. “I’ve heard what happened…”

“Mattsun,” Oikawa starts, but Matsukawa raises his hand to stop him.

“We have much to discuss, my king,” Matsukawa says, finally looking up. “Yahaba, if you could please excuse us - I need to talk to Oikawa and Iwaizumi alone.”

Yahaba hesitates, “shouldn’t I…?”

Oikawa steps over to him, and Yahaba looks at him. “We’ll talk in the morning, Yahaba… for now, get some rest…”

Kyoutani pulls on Yahaba’s hand lightly, and he focuses on Kyoutani now. His golden eyes are light, full of worry and confusion, and Yahaba feels guilty for leaving him alone for so long.

“Okay,” he mumbles, leaning into Kyoutani’s hold before they move to the exit.

Matsukawa stops them and nods to Kyoutani. “The council doesn’t know about him being free - watch yourselves, Yahaba.”

He’s too tired to argue, so instead he nods and stands straight, pulling away from Kyoutani and opening the door to leave. The door shuts quietly behind them, and Kyoutani presses a gentle hand to the middle of Yahaba’s back, guiding him down the hall and to the stairs.

They don’t pass anyone the entire way back, and Yahaba is grateful for it - he’s not sure he could handle Kyoutani having to let him go right now. Slowly, he pushes his bedroom door open and steps inside, feeling ready to collapse.

Kyoutani shuts the door behind them and comes around to hold Yahaba’s shoulders, making him look him in the eye. “What happened?”

Yahaba shakes his head, feeling his lips quiver. “I…”

He suddenly can’t breathe again, falling forward as a sob forces it’s way out of his throat, and Kyoutani pulls him close. His body heat is rolling off of him in waves, and Yahaba feels warmth unlike the flames of the Magic Council’s meeting room - this heat is comforting and good, and smells like home.

Kyoutani doesn’t release Yahaba, but he does shift his hold to lift Yahaba against his body, carrying him to the bed and laying him down gently. He pulls away for only a moment, just so he can climb into the bed, but immediately is at Yahaba’s side again, holding him close and running his hand softly up and down Yahaba’s back as he sobs.

It takes time, and the sun has set by the time Yahaba feels as though he can’t cry anymore. Kyoutani doesn’t say anything the whole time, and Yahaba isn’t sure if he appreciates the silence or not. Sniffling, he shifts his chin to rest on his shoulder, looking at Kyoutani, who opens his eyes in response.

“Yahaba safe…?”

“No,” Yahaba murmurs, “I’m going to be king…”


	16. Execution

A wizard’s full name is given a total of five possible times in their life, with two of those times being certain to occur. Outside of those times, they are referred to as their family name by everyone - however, few will call them by their given name, those being their family and married partner. Those five possible times are very straight forward.

Their birth announcement. A title change. If they are named heir. Their coronation after becoming heir. Their death or execution.

This is the third time Yahaba ever heard the full name Oikawa Tooru. He was present when his teacher was named heir years ago, and again last year when he became king.

It is also the third time in his life, and the second he’s heard it personally, that someone outside of his family has stated the name Yahaba Shigeru. Soon, his full name will be repeated again for the coronation ceremony.

For now, he sits in the large chair, overlooking the courtyard of the castle where hundreds of high borns are standing around in confusion - even a few other villagers stand at the edges trying to see over the crowd for whatever the commotion is. Beyond the wall, he can see crowds of people trying to get through the castle gate, curious for the announcement. At his right sits Matsukawa, who’s face betrays no emotion, and to his left stands Kyoutani, who’s strangely kept silent all morning. Kindaichi stands behind Matsukawa, the first Yahaba has seen of him in days. They didn’t speak, and Kindaichi is clearly avoiding Yahaba’s eyes.

Lords like Matsukawa are unique to the name system of their kingdoms. While given names are sacred and shouldn’t be said by people that are not close to you, the hands of royals and the Magic Council are some of the few whose given names are well known and spoken by everyone. It’s a habit by wizards to simply use each other’s family names, but when a lord enters a room, they’re usually announced to the general public by their full names.

There were plenty of people who called him ‘Lord Issei’ instead of ‘Lord Matsukawa’, but Yahaba refused to call him that. Even now, as they sit side by side, waiting for the Magic Council to come from the entrance of the castle, Yahaba knows he’ll be unable to call him ‘Issei’ from here on out.

Across the way at another balcony, Yahaba can see the other hands who hadn’t left Seijou yet. News spread that the Magic Council had an announcement to make in regards to the Kingdom of Seijou, and the Hands of the Kings and Queen decided to stay and wait for the announcement. Each one sits in chairs similar to Yahaba’s, and their kingdom’s top tiers that joined them on their journey here stands at their sides. None of them are speaking to one another, and the beasts that belong to some of them stand further back, out of sight to the people of Seijou below.

Yahaba doesn’t see Oikawa or Iwaizumi, and he wonders how the council will broach the subject of the current king’s execution.

A loud horn bellows from somewhere, other’s joining in harmony and it quiets the mill of people below. Everyone focuses on the doors of the castle, waiting for the council to appear. The doors are thrown open, and out walks the five men of their country’s council.

“ _Magic Council Members, Lord Yamiji Takeyuki of the Kingdom of Fukurodani in the Lands of Autumn! Lord Irihata Nobuteru of the Kingdom of Seijou by the Dark Forest! Lord Nekomata Yasufumi of the Kingdom of Nekoma in the Frozen North! Lord Ukai Ikkei of the Kingdom of Karasuno by the Everblack Woods! And Head Council Member, Lord Washijo Tanji of the Kingdom of Shiratorizawa in the Sun Blessed Desert! All rise!_ ”

Yahaba stands slowly, watching the Magic Council walk out to stand over the people of Seijou, each of them standing tall and brimming with powerful magic. Some of the high borns bow in response to their presence, but most do not - it’s not really needed, and those that do are usually trying to suck up to the council.

He wonders where Watari might be. Neither he or Mizoguchi are within sight, and Yahaba hopes his friend isn’t here to see this. Yahaba didn’t see him these past few days, and he hopes Watari doesn’t feel betrayed once he learns what the announcement is.

In a way, Yahaba hadn’t seen anyone these past few days. Only Kyoutani, who hovered close by and waited in silence for Yahaba to say anything at all, as though he was afraid to speak while they waited for anything at all.

The day after he met with the Magic Council, Oikawa had come to his chambers before dawn broke and spoke quickly, frantically, with Yahaba about what would happen next. Useless things, like how the king should act or what his duties and expectations would be.

“Oikawa, please tell me you have a plan!” He’d interrupted, and Oikawa had gone silent.

“I am going to die in two days. You’ll make a good king, Yahaba,” was his only response, before patting Yahaba’s shoulder and turning to leave Yahaba’s room.

It had been pointless, and if he went to try to see Oikawa, guards would prohibit him from even ascending the stairs to the third floor.

So he waited in his room, sitting in never ending silence and wincing whenever Kyoutani focused on him any time he made a sudden movement. It felt confining, and awful, and while he didn’t like treating Kyoutani so distantly, it helped.

If his king had to die for loving a beast, why should Yahaba enjoy his own beast’s company? It wasn’t fair to Kyoutani, but Yahaba just couldn’t reach out to touch him without thinking of Oikawa’s inevitable death.

Matsukawa had collected him this morning, bringing him to their seats and waited in silence for the Magic Council, never once asking Yahaba if he was doing okay.

Yahaba isn’t okay, standing in his place and watching the Magic Council approach the front of the crowd as though everything was okay in the world.

“People of Seijou,” Washijo starts, his voice booming with an enhancement spell. Matsukawa suddenly holds Yahaba’s shoulder, guiding him back to his seat. He silently went, wishing he didn’t need to be there. “Today is a day of celebration, as well as one of tragedy and horror! For it is with our greatest honor to bestow to you all the news of your kingdom’s future!”

He can hear some people whisper, the little sounds traveling throughout the crowd and sparking conversations between people who can’t help but speculate what Lord Washijo means.

“Throughout the history of Seijou’s kingdom, kings and queens have come and gone, serving the people with honor and dignity! Never born to the right of throne, but rather proving themselves worthy of royalty through their actions and magical power!” Washijo goes on, and it sparks more speculation in the people. “It is with pride of a royal decree that your next king is to be announced!”

Shouts of confusion and slight anger rise from the people, and Yahaba closes his eyes to the sound.

“I give you your next king - Yahaba Shigeru, Heir of Seijou!” Washijo’s voice carries over the noise, and the protest continues.

Yahaba doesn’t move, but Matsukawa nudges him. He opens his eyes and glances over, and Matsukawa nods to the railing of the balcony. “You have to stand,” he mutters, and Yahaba feels his lips purse at the thought.

He does it anyway, pushing himself up from his seat and slowly walking over to where his people can see him clearly. Some are staring up in awe at him, others look confused. More are shouting at Lord Washijo, calling him a liar and asking for where their true king is - “Where is King Oikawa?” - “King Oikawa is too young for an heir!” - “You’re crazy!” - “What brought this on?”

They’re not wrong, Yahaba feels the same way. This isn’t right, and as more people protest, it seems no one is willing to listen to the Magic Council.

“ _Silence_!” Washijo shouts, a rush of air pushing people back and silencing the crowd. There’s still some chatter, but most of the noise has ended with his command. “You’re all clearly confused, but allow me to explain why!”

In the center of the courtyard, people are suddenly pushed back with magic, creating enough space for something to begin to appear. Yahaba feels his throat dry, and he grabs hold of the railing in order to stop himself from moving to do something.

A podium forms in the center of the crowd, with a post in the center of it. Bound to the post is Oikawa, who’s wearing tattered clothes and has his head hanging in what appears to be shame. Yahaba gapes at the image, and the crowd goes silent.

Wholly, completely, perfectly silent.

“Oikawa Tooru,” Washijo calls, and Oikawa’s head moves just a little, but he doesn’t fully pick it up to look at the man. “You have committed crimes against the Magic Council—” people are starting to mutter again, “—within the laws of beasts, Section A Point Five. No wizard is to bed a beast. Section A Point Six. No wizard is to wed themselves to a beast. You have admitted to being guilty of these crimes, and for that, you are sentenced to death!”

Immediately, the shouts of the crowd return, this time sounding appalled and downright refusing to believe this. Yahaba feels his jaw clench, and his grip on the railing is growing tighter.

“Do you have any final words?” Washijo asks, and Oikawa slowly picks his head up to look at Washijo.

His face holds no fear, and his eyes look to be drilling holes into Washijo’s skull. “Only this,” Oiakwa calls, voice booming as well, “it doesn’t matter if he were a wizard or a beast. I love Iwaizumi with all my heart, and I will gladly die in the name of our love!”

Washijo sneers, the people gasping and shouting things in response. “Then you will have your wish, and your precious Iwaizumi will suffer,” he says, glancing to the side. Yahaba looks over as well, and Iwaizumi stands beside two knights, watching Oikawa with a blank expression. “He has been restored to his tamed self, only he is free to think for himself. For his punishment, he will watch you burn, and live out the rest of his life with this image seared within his mind.”

Yahaba gapes at the scene, feeling his stomach drop. Iwaizumi doesn’t move or even blink, and Oikawa stares at his husband with the most broken expression.

His ears are ringing now, the sound of the people growing distant, and Yahaba watches as Washijo gives the command. Oikawa is staring at Iwaizumi as the flames ignite around him, and the crowd backs away just enough to not get burned. They’re all moving, shouting things, maybe even cheering. As the fire grows and envelops Oikawa’s body, Yahaba sees Oikawa’s face shift to a more neutral, defiant expression, and slowly his king turns his gaze back to Washijo.

As the flames encase him in their heat and burn away his skin, his muscles, and his entire being, Oikawa remains focused on Washijo, not once flinching in pain. Yahaba can’t look away, his king’s burning remains becoming a permanent fixture in his mind.

It takes time, but soon Oikawa’s body is reduced to ashes and nothingness, and Yahaba still can’t look away. There’s a pounding in his head, and his throat burns from how dry it is. 

Someone touches his shoulder then and Yahaba glances back. Matsukawa is staring at the smoking ashes of where Oikawa once stood, and nods once. 

“You handled it well,” he mutters, “don’t let the Magic Council think you’re grieving the traitor…”

Yahaba turns more at this, glaring at Matsukawa before shoving his hand away and he begins to feel the burn behind his eyes. “He didn’t deserve this - how can you be so cold?”

Matsukawa shakes his head, “you know that he wouldn’t want us to risk our lives for his. We have to continue on without showing we care.”

He understands what Matsukawa means, but still, his chest hurts from having watched Oikawa’s body burn. “Why didn’t he run?”

“Oikawa is powerful, and a little out there with his ideas, but he is still loyal,” Matsukawa answers, shaking his head again. “A little too loyal, if you ask me…”

Yahaba agrees silently, turning back when he hears Washijo speak again. He doesn’t really hear him, and he’s not sure if he’s glad for it or not. 

When people begin to leave, Yahaba immediately heads for the exit, grabbing Kyoutani by his bicep and pulling him along. Matsukawa calls for him, but Yahaba doesn’t stop, dragging Kyoutani with him back to his bedchambers. 

He slams the door shut behind them, locking it for good measure before pulling on Kyoutani’s arm and storming to his bed, collapsing down onto it face first. He pulls Kyoutani down as well, but he doesn’t turn to look at him. 

Kyoutani doesn’t say anything, and Yahaba is for once grateful of the silence. Groaning in annoyance, he rolls himself against Kyoutani, pulls Kyoutani’s arms around his body, and squeezes his eyes shut. 

The pounding in his head doesn’t really go away, but it does lull him to sleep, wrapped up in the warmth of Kyoutani’s hold. 

Waking up a few hours later, Yahaba doesn’t register that something is wrong until he finishes relieving himself behind the private wall and paused, staring at Kyoutani lying stiff on his bed. 

“Kyoutani?” He calls, and slowly Kyoutani sits up, staring blankly at Yahaba. He shivers at the sight, not used to such a dull gaze. “Are you… are you okay?”

Kyoutani doesn’t answer. 

Yahaba hurries over, cupping Kyoutani’s face in his hands. His eyes aren’t bright, or glowing, or even gold looking. 

Yahaba can’t breathe, his chest shudders as he tries to catch his breath. 

“Kyoutani?” He calls again, patting the side of Kyoutani’s face as though he’s merely sleeping. “Hey, what’s going on? Kyoutani?”

Kyoutani still doesn’t respond, blinking once. It’s slow, and it doesn’t seem he’s really looking at Yahaba. 

Panicking, Yahaba rushes over to the door where a drape covers something on the wall, and pulls the cover down. A mirror hangs on the wall, looking unassuming and simple. 

Yahaba breathes onto the mirror, writing into the fog Matsukawa’s name and waits. The image of his own face pulses, like a water droplet hitting the center of water and the ripples read out from there. Again the ripple occurs before it flickers, and Matsukawa’s own face appears. He looks as though he had been woken up, but Yahaba doesn’t care. 

“Get over here _now_ ,” he demands, and Matsukawa rubs at his eyes, groaning a little. 

“What…? Why…?”

Yahaba grinds his teeth, trying to remain calm. “Something’s not right…”

Matsukawa stares at him for a moment before nodding a little. “Be there in about ten or twenty minutes,” he murmurs, and while that doesn’t sound good enough to Yahaba, he sees the subtle wink before the image of Matsukawa disappears. 

Quickly, Yahaba throws the drape back over his mirror, covering it completely before returning to his bed, grabbing Kyoutani’s face again. 

“Ah, I see what you mean now,” Matsukawa says and Yahaba jumps, whipping around to see him standing in the middle of Yahaba’s room. “He looks like he’s tamed again, doesn’t he?”

Yahaba gapes at him. “He… he’s not, right?”

Matsukawa hums, stepping forward and pushing Yahaba to the side a little. He reaches out and moves his hand in front of Kyoutani’s face in an odd gesture, and immediately Kyoutani’s posture shifts. 

He hunches forward, and his shoulders sag. His face slips back into his usual scowl and his eyes return to their golden hue. Kyoutani looks briefly at Yahaba before turning to Matsukawa and deepening his glare, sharp teeth on display as he growls.

Yahaba gapes at the change and rounds on Matsukawa, shoving him a little in anger. “Why would you do that?!”

“So the Magic Council wouldn’t question if he were tamed or not,” Matsukawa defends, finding his footing again. “I didn’t want you to have to worry about—”

“Why didn’t you tell me?!” Yahaba demands, pushing at Matsukawa again. “Why did you do this without speaking to me first?!”

“I tried to tell you after Oikawa’s execution,” Matsukawa explains, “but you had stormed off and I thought it was better to leave you be. It’s been hours, Yahaba, how did you not notice sooner?”

Yahaba hesitates, feeling cold as he realizes how long it’s been. “I…”

“Yahaba sleep,” Kyoutani grumbles, and they both turn to him, “Kyoutani leave him be.”

Matsukawa huffs a laugh, “you wouldn’t have been able to wake him anyway.”

Yahaba smacks Matsukawa’s shoulder, though he knows it didn’t hurt. “Still, how could you just do it without talking to me first?”

“I stopped him before we went to our seats and offered to put an illusion spell on him so that people wouldn’t question whether he had free will or not,” he shrugs, “and he agreed when I said it would definitely keep you safe from the council.”

Frowning, Yahaba turns to Kyoutani again. “I’m sorry, I wish I had noticed…”

Kyoutani drops his glare and shrugs, rolling his head to crack his neck after having been stiff for so long. “Not bad, Kyoutani no trouble…”

Yahaba crosses his arms, watching as Kyoutani proceeds to stretch out his arms. “Are you sure that was just an illusion? It seems it affected him physically.”

“Well, it gave him the appearance of being tamed, but his movements had to be restricted to keep the illusion in place…”

“So he was frozen like that?” Yahaba bites his lip, “I… I still wish I had known.”

Matsukawa nods, “I apologise. If we do it again, I will be sure to tell you before the spell goes in place.”

“Good,” Yahaba turns his focus back to Matsukawa. He isn’t sure what to say from here, and he shifts his weight around on his feet. “How… how is this going to work?”

“What do you mean?”

“My… coronation,” Yahaba mumbles, “and before that even. Who is running the kingdom?”

Matsukawa sighs and moves to Yahaba’s table, taking a seat and gesturing for Yahaba to do the same. “Let’s discuss this - Gods know no one has explained anything to you.”

Yahaba slowly walks over, glancing back to Kyoutani who remains seated on the end of the bed. He’s watching Yahaba, looking tired and as though he hadn’t slept in days. Yahaba feels the same, his body protesting from his movements despite having just woken up.

Seated across from Matsukawa, Yahaba watches the other man pick up Yahaba’s personal deck of cards and shuffle them slowly. “In a week, you will be crowned King of Seijou,” Matsukawa starts, dealing the cards out for a game of battle. Yahaba quietly takes his dealt hand, but he doesn’t focus on the cards. “In the meantime, I will be acting as king because I was Oikawa’s hand.”

“Okay, but what should I be doing?” Yahaba asks, and they begin to play. He doesn’t pay attention, and has probably discarded things he shouldn’t.

“Research the elements Kunimi told us about,” Matsukawa nods, more focused on the game than Yahaba. “Figure out who you want as your hand, and keep to yourself. Next week, you’ll be moved to the king’s chambers.”

Yahaba frowns, “my hand? Aren’t you going to be my hand?”

Matsukawa chuckles. “The hand is chosen by the ruler, Yahaba. I don’t have to be anything to you if you don’t want me to be.”

“Oh,” Yahaba shifts his hand around as he draws more cards, pausing when he pulls the Star Royal card. Oikawa’s image smiles up at him, the blue drawing somehow more dull and lifeless than Yahaba remembers it being. Immediately, his mind draws back the view of Oikawa’s burning corpse, his last moments of life spent glaring at Lord Washijo as everyone watches.

Matsukawa sighs and sets his own hand down. “Maybe we shouldn’t play - Oikawa’s image will soon be replaced with yours…”

Yahaba shakes his head, putting down his cards as well, but he keeps Oikawa’s card in hand. “He was a good king, Matsukawa…”

“He was reckless,” Matsukawa says, “and only did what he wanted… but yes, he was good. Knew what was best for the kingdom, and what was best was exactly what he wanted.”

Yahaba doesn’t look away from the card, Oikawa’s drawn face looking back with a little smirk and somehow holding the same air of knowing something no one else did. If he hadn’t seen the execution himself, Yahaba would be willing to believe Oikawa had gotten away.

“Outside of that,” Matsukawa continues, “you should know that there is something we’ll need to do once you’re king.”

He doesn’t look up.

“Yahaba, look at me,” he still doesn’t, and Matsukawa scoffs. “Fine, don’t look at me. But try to understand - the information we could find about the elements will bring us that much closer to solving the issue Oikawa was—”

A knock comes to the door, prompting Yahaba to finally look up and Matsukawa to immediately hurry over to Kyoutani, replacing the illusion spell. Yahaba watches him, slowly setting down the card. Kyoutani’s posture becomes stiff where he stands, and Yahaba flinches away at the sight.

The knock comes again, and Yahaba pushes back his seat to answer the door. On the other side stands Lord Irihata, an expression of worry on his face.

“Lord Irihata,” Yahaba starts, trying to control his surprise, “what brings you here?”

The older man tries to smile, but Yahaba can tell something’s off. “Well, the mirrors are monitored, Yahaba… we heard something was wrong and I was asked to check on you.”

Yahaba stands a little straighter at this - he’s suddenly very glad for the drape he hangs over his mirror. It blocks out the mirrors and makes it so calls don’t go through right away; and uncovered mirror could mean anyone is watching you, after all.

“Oh, yes,” he says, nodding a little, “but Lord Matsukawa has already assisted me with the issue.”

His mind is blank when he tries to think of an excuse, certain that Irihata will ask what it was about. The older man frowns, trying to look past Yahaba to see where Matsukawa is.

Suddenly, Matsukawa is at Yahaba’s side and smiling at Irihata. “Hello, my lord. Wonderful night, isn’t it?”

“What seems to be the trouble, Issei?” Irihata asks, sending the younger lord a questioning look. “We wouldn’t want anything to happen to our future king…”

Matsukawa chuckles humorlessly, “everything is fine, my lord. Yahaba simply thought that ‘Sixteen’ looked ill and grew worried. He’s perfectly fine, though.”

Irihata frowns, turning to Yahaba. “Your beast looked ill?”

“He…” Yahaba gulps, pausing as he tries to think of an excuse. “He was just so pale, I thought he was sick and holding back because he didn’t have the mindset to do something about it himself.”

“Turns out, Yahaba forgot to give ‘Sixteen’ food today and he was starving,” Matsukawa shrugs, “all is well now.”

Irihata doesn’t look convinced. “You forgot to feed the beast, huh?”

“I haven’t eaten myself, actually,” Yahaba admits, “too wound up from Oikawa’s execution.”

“I see,” Irihata’s face softens, “I don’t blame you. He was your teacher, after all… do try to take care of yourself, Yahaba, okay?”

Yahaba nods, bowing a little in respect. “Thank you for checking on me, my lord. I appreciate the concern.”

“Of course,” he turns to leave, looking between Matsukawa and Yahaba. “Sleep well, boys. And try to stay out of trouble…”

They both nod and watch as Irihata goes, Matsukawa taking hold of the door and closing it quickly when it seems the man wouldn’t turn back. He pulls Yahaba further into the room and back to Kyoutani’s side, dropping the spell on him again.

“My beast was _sick_?” Yahaba grumbles, crossing his arms, “seriously?”

“You’re the one who contacted me through the _mirrors_ about him!” Matsukawa scoffs, shaking his head. “Even if you didn’t mean him exactly, it wouldn’t take long to figure out what the real problem was.”

“Is that why you said it wouldn’t take you ten or so minutes to get here?” Yahaba glances back to the door, making sure it’s still closed. “Because you knew they were monitoring my mirror?”

Matsukawa rolls his eyes, “it’s not just your mirror, they’re monitoring mine as well. Hell, any mirror in the castle is being monitored, so don’t call Watari either.”

Yahaba glares at him. “It would have been more suspicious if I went to your room and brought you back to mine!”

“Try using the teleportation spell for once,” Matsukawa argues, “it’s not as scary as Oikawa made you think!”

“I’m not taking that chance!” Yahaba huffs, crossing his arms and looking to Kyoutani. His shoulders relax when he sees Kyoutani’s golden eyes again, and Kyoutani looks worried as he stares back. “Are you okay, Kyoutani?”

“Man good,” Kyoutani says, pointing to the door. “Defend Yahaba…”

Matsukawa and Yahaba glance between one another before focusing on Kyoutani again. “I’m sorry, what?”

“Man say Yahaba good,” Kyoutani continues, “tell bad man Yahaba no need death.”

Yahaba gapes at him. “Are you… are you talking about when they decided to give you to me?”

“He remembers that?” Matsukawa asks, looking between the two of them. Yahaba doesn’t answer, keeping his gaze on Kyoutani.

“Yes,” Kyoutani nods, “man say Yahaba no fail, say Yahaba in danger too. Man tell Magic Council Yahaba no need death, need protection.”

Matsukawa hums, nodding a little. “Oikawa mentioned that when he went to defend you from the Magic Council after your first mission, they were discussing whether you needed to be punished… he didn’t say who, but he said it seemed at least two council members were against you dying. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was Irihata.”

“Irihata,” Kyoutani nods, “say Yahaba good, need protection.”

“Irihata always defended Oikawa,” Matsukawa explains, “even before he was king. When Oikawa named me his hand, Irihata came to me and asked that I do everything I can to keep Oikawa out of trouble… he’s probably not happy with me now that Oikawa is dead…”

Yahaba frowns, narrowing his eyes. “What do you mean?”

Matsukawa stares back, an expression of guilt on his face. “What did they ask you about when you were with the council, Yahaba?”

He tries to think back to three days ago, to the Magic Council and their meeting with him. “They were… asking about Oikawa’s marriage…”

“How do you think they learned about it?” Matsukawa murmurs, voice soft.

Yahaba stares at him. “No,” he quietly says, shaking his head. “No way…”

“It needed to be done,” Matsukawa admits, avoiding Yahaba’s eyes. “I had to do it for Oikawa’s plan to work…”

“You,” Yahaba isn’t able to finish his sentence, staring at Matsukawa in horror. He can’t wrap his head around it, the very idea of Matsukawa turning in Oikawa like this.

“Yahaba, please, you need to understand,” Matsukawa continues, keeping his voice low. “Oikawa asked me to do it…”

“You got him _killed_ ,” Yahaba finally manages, but he’s not sure if they words really were spoken from how soft his voice is. “How… why would Oikawa…?”

Matsukawa sighs, closing his eyes. “He wasn’t supposed to die, not so soon at least…”

Yahaba gapes in horror at him. “Not so _soon_? How is death a good plan _at all_?”

Matsukawa shakes his head. “Oikawa’s plan didn’t need for him to die, but he always figured it could result in his death… either way, the plan can still work with or without him here.”

“Still work…?” Yahaba takes a deep breath, trying to comprehend this information a little more. “I don’t care if the plan could still work, he’s _dead_!”

“And we can still find a way to stop the Hollow Body Phantom _and_ save the people in our country - wizards _and_ beasts, not just the wizards,” Matsukawa explains, “we just need to—”

“I _don’t care_ what we need to do,” Yahaba shouts, pushing at Matsukawa again, “just…! Just get out of here!” He pushes him again, towards the door.

“Yahaba, wait—”

“ _Get out_!” Yahaba shouts, pushing again, this time with a boost of magic. Matsukawa flies back towards the door, but before he can make contact, Yahaba switches to a different spell, pulling the door open and sending Matsukawa flying out of his room. Before Matsukawa can stand from where he lands in the hall, Yahaba swings his hand out, slamming the door shut and locking it in place.

Silence rings in his room then, and Yahaba pants from the exertion of using his magic so suddenly. He stares down at his right hand, seeing the way it trembles before reaching over with his left and holding it gently. The trembling stops, but the sensation tingles throughout his arm.

“Yahaba…?”

He turns around and finds Kyoutani watching him. “Did you know?”

Kyoutani shakes his head. “Matsukawa say nothing Kyoutani,” he says, stepping closer to him. “Yahaba okay…?”

Yahaba glances down, seeing his fingers begin to tremble before clenching his hand. “I’m fine… I… I’m tired…”

“Sleep?”

“Yes,” Yahaba mumbles, moving closer to Kyoutani. He doesn’t look up again, closing his eyes when he feels Kyoutani reach out for him, pulling their bodies together. Sighing, he sags into Kyoutani’s hold and buries his face against Kyoutani’s neck.

Silently, Kyoutani guides Yahaba to the bed and they lay down again, the covers beneath them and their clothes still in place. Yahaba doesn’t complain, relaxing into Kyoutani’s hold and letting himself fall back into a gentle sleep.

The following day, he spends locked in his room, and food is delivered for the meals. Kyoutani eats most of it, but Yahaba doesn’t mind. Instead, he does what Matsukawa had told him to do - not wanting Oikawa’s death to be in vain - and focuses on researching about the cardinal elements Kunimi had told them about.

Nothing comes up during his research.

As the week goes on, Yahaba spends more time sleeping than researching, and he thinks about contacting Watari. He decides against it, avoiding the mirror and never once leaving his room. Kyoutani says nothing of his decision to stay in the room, and keeps him company throughout the week.

Before he knows it, the day of his coronation has arrived, and Yahaba feels exhausted even as he wakes. Servants come and go, getting him cleaned and dressed in the most elegant of clothes Yahaba has even seen. Some begin to move his things, and Yahaba isn’t able to find the energy to direct them on what to do with the stuff.

At some point, he’s left alone with Kyoutani in his slowly emptying room, and they stare between themselves.

One of the servants had apparently cleaned Kyoutani’s appearance up, or tried to at least. And since he was meant to be tame, Kyoutani had to endure it all. His armor looks altered by magic, making it appear newer and cleaner than before, and his scars look faded - as if they were some kind of eyesore that needed to be done away with. Even his boots looked shined and new, and Yahaba gapes at this change.

“What did they do to you?”

“What did they do to you,” Kyoutani repeats, his tone sounding mocking, but Yahaba knows what he means.

Yahaba’s clothes were unlike anything he’s worn before; his shirt was high collared and had silver buttons holding the folds in place, and the sleeves were long and hung off of his forearms, thin fabric tickling his skin. There were designs sewn into the edges, looking like vines of ivy growing along his form and hints of tiny star details within the leaves. The thread seemed to shine in the light, and the ones in his sleeves appeared to be see-through, as though they were made of mesh rather than thread or cotton. His usual gloves remain on his hands, however, as he refused to take them off as the servants tried to assist him. One servant had grown frustrated and used magic to alter the gloves in color, so that they at least matched the light blue hues of his shirt. His boots were new, and went to just above his knees, reminding him of Oikawa’s own thigh high boots he wore everyday. Hanging around his neck is a cape, fastened together with blue-tinted silver stars.

The very cape Oikawa wore to his coronation.

Kyoutani steps closer, narrowing his eyes as he looks at Yahaba’s face. “Mark on eyes,” he mutters, pointing at the edges of Yahaba’s eyes where he knows there is some light makeup to cover up how tired he looked. “Why do that?”

“To make me look pretty,” Yahaba grumbles sarcastically, and Kyoutani looks disgusted.

“Yahaba pretty before, no need add stars,” he argues, gesturing to Yahaba’s clothes. “Already cover in stars.”

Yahaba sighs, nodding a little. “I’m to be king of Seijou today; Seijou is the star suit in the deck for a reason…”

All the kingdom’s had something that defined them - colors, shapes, and symbols. For Seijou, it was simply blue, stars, and ivy. Unlike the other kingdoms, they were the only ones without an animal for their symbol.

Glancing around his room, Yahaba frowns at how empty it already feels and turns to leave. “Come on, there’s some time before the coronation.”

Kyoutani trails after him, and Yahaba quietly makes his way to the king’s chambers. They pass by servants who are hurrying all over the place, and none of them stop to check him over to ensure their future king is ready.

Yahaba pushes the double door entrance open, and is met with an empty room. He steps in, looking around at the clutter around the edges of the room.

His things were stored around the room in various piles, keeping things together with like objects. The map table Oikawa was always looking over remains, some of his more delicate things resting on top of it, having knocked over some of the figures, and he thinks he sees the old bed Oikawa occupied at night through the archway of the separate room - it’s unmade from what he can tell. His books were stored on the built in shelves, and Yahaba notes there are more books than he remembers owning. Frowning, he goes to the shelves and looks at the books he doesn’t recognise.

They were Oikawa’s.

Hesitating, Yahaba looks over the names on the spines of the books he can reach before he sees one of interest, pulling it out. The title seems simple enough, and Yahaba glances over to Kyoutani, who’s watching him with some curiosity.

“ _Children of the Moon_ ,” he reads, stepping over to him. “Oikawa was really into the story of wizards being born from the Moon…”

“Born from the Moon,” Kyoutani softly repeats, frowning a little before pointing to himself. “Born from the Sun…?”

“Beasts are supposedly born from the Sun,” Yahaba nods, “which is why you don’t have magic like us.”

Kyoutani’s brows knit together, as though he’s thinking of something. “But… _Fimar_ love _Snokar_ ,” he says, “ _Fimar_ children also _Snokar_ children, right?”

Yahaba stares at him. “I… I’ve never heard of the Sun loving the Moon, Kyoutani.”

“Iwaizumi tell Kyoutani story,” he says, shaking his head. “Iwaizumi always believe wizards children of _Fimar_ and _Snokar_ , just like us.”

He gapes at him, suddenly remembering his discussion with Oikawa. “ _The Sun and the Moon had children, and they believed those children would be stronger together,_ ” he had said, “ _but humans were fickle creatures. Too much difference makes it harder to see what could be true…_ ”

“Oikawa,” he mumbles, and Kyoutani looks at him in question. “He… he knew something about the Sun and the Moon…”

Hurrying over to the table, Yahaba puts the book down and begins to flip through it. Kyoutani comes over to stand beside him, watching the pages flip. Yahaba isn’t sure what he’s looking for, but he’s certain there’s something in the book.

Yahaba finds what he’s searching for when Kyoutani goes stiff beside him. Looking up, he notes the dull expression on Kyoutani’s face before glancing to the doorway.

Matsukawa is standing there, Iwaizumi standing behind him. It’s strange to see Iwaizumi so dead looking, his face as neutral as Kyoutani’s. Matsukawa looks apologetic.

“It’s time for your coronation, Yahaba,” he says, “you’ll be able to return to your new room later…”

Yahaba stares at him, standing a little straighter from where he was hunched over the book. “I know where the cardinal elements are.”


	17. Coronation

The ceremony went by in a blur, and Yahaba barely remembers the exact moment the crown was first placed onto his head. All he can remember is the deafening silence from all who attended, and the droning voice of the elder wizard from Seijou’s royal court as he said the prayers and traditional speech for a coronation.

Not a single word registered as the man spoke, and Yahaba could feel himself zone out as he kneeled before the throne.

It was sudden when the trumpets rang out to signal the end of the speech and all the prayers had been said, and Yahaba turned to face the crowd in the great hall. No one truly met his gaze as they applauded, and he knew then that no one had come to terms with Oikawa’s death.

He still hadn’t either.

Yahaba wasn’t expecting to speak, or to be asked to announce anything, so when Lord Washijo asked him who he would name as his hand, Yahaba couldn’t find his voice.

The quiet was loud then, and Yahaba glanced around as though someone would tell him what to say. When no one did, and Yahaba could feel the atmosphere shift in the room, he cleared his throat and gestured to Matsukawa - “I would prefer it if Lord Matsukawa Issei continued on as Hand of the King in Seijou, if he’d be so kind…”

Matsukawa didn’t make any show of disagreeing, or of being surprised. He only nodded and moved forward to join Yahaba at his side. The crowd applauded again as they stood side by side, and Yahaba found it hard to look anywhere but at the displeased expression on Washijo’s face.

He held the old man’s gaze as Matsukawa said some things to the people, and the ceremony was suddenly over. No celebration, no happy smiles, and no congratulatory gestures in Yahaba’s direction.

Oikawa’s coronation had been grand and full of happiness, with a party that lasted for just over a week. No one in the whole kingdom who’d come for the coronation could keep themselves from congratulating Oikawa, and they drank many toasts in his honor.

Yahaba can’t say he is disappointed - it’d feel like spitting on Oikawa’s grave if he celebrated for even a second.

Which is why he found himself in his new chambers, the doors shut firmly behind him and Kyoutani standing silently a few feet away. He stares at the large room around him now, dust particles shining in the light of the early afternoon sun as they float around the space. His things were left unpacked, just as he’d left them when Matsukawa came to collect him.

He reaches up and undoes the clasp of the cape, tossing it onto on of the boxes. Turning, Yahaba waves his hand in Kyoutani’s direction and breaks the illusion spell placed on him. It wasn’t difficult to his surprise, and Kyoutani’s more relaxed stance and glowing eyes are a welcomed sight.

“Yahaba okay?” Kyoutani asks, stepping tentatively closer.

“If Iwaizumi died and you were forced to take his place as leader, how would you feel?” Yahaba softly asks, and Kyoutani hesitates. He waits though, to see what Kyoutani might come up with.

He only shakes his head. “Kyoutani… _I_ would do all that I can for my people…”

“But how would you feel?”

Kyoutani focuses on the ground between them. “Horrible…”

Yahaba nods, “that’s a pretty good description.”

Kyoutani turns his gaze back up to meet Yahaba’s and moves to stand closer, reaching out to touch Yahaba’s arms. Yahaba lifts his hands and takes hold of Kyoutani’s arms in response, moving a little closer as he feels his nose burn. “I’m sorry for your loss… and for what you’re being made to do.”

He shakes his head now. “There isn’t anything I can do now except be the best king I can be, right?”

“For your people,” Kyoutani agrees, and Yahaba pushes forward to hug him close. Kyoutani returns the hold, running his hand comfortingly up and down Yahaba’s back. He closes his eyes and lets himself sag into Kyoutani’s arms, and sniffles when he feels himself about to cry. “You’ll be a good king, so long as you try,” Kyoutani whispers to him, and Yahaba huffs a watery laugh.

“I hope so,” he pulls away and rubs at his eyes, hopeful they’re dry. “Oikawa would want me to do everything I can, after all.”

Kyoutani nods, keeping his hold on Yahaba and not letting him pull too far away. “What do you want to do now?”

Yahaba sniffs again, trying to keep the heat in his nose and the burning behind his eyes from taking over and he focuses on Kyoutani. “What do you mean?”

“Sleep? Research elements?” Kyoutani shrugs, as though he’s not sure what else to offer. “Talk…?”

He turns his head to look at the table where he’d left the book and stares at it. “The elements…”

“You don’t have to right now,” Kyoutani mumbles, letting Yahaba pull away to go to the book. “It won’t kill you to just sleep for a little while…”

Yahaba pauses when he reaches the book, slowly looking back to Kyoutani. “Why do you want me to sleep so badly?”

Kyoutani avoids his eyes. “Yahaba no sleep lately…”

He’s not sure what he means. “I’ve slept…”

“No,” Kyoutani looks at him now, “you lay awake all night. You don’t actually sleep…”

Yahaba licks his lips, trying to think of the last time he had a good night sleep. He doesn’t really recall, and at that thought, he suddenly feels how heavy his body feels.

“Maybe I should sleep,” he whispers, glancing at the book for a moment. Shaking his head, he moves toward Kyoutani again, taking his hand and leading him to the separate room where the bed is.

The king’s bed is much, _much_ larger than the bed Yahaba had occupied for so long. He’s not really sure any one person - or even two people - needed so much space. But he’s sat on the bed before when discussing with Oikawa things in the early days of his rule, and Yahaba knows that no other bed will compare.

Kyoutani stops him before he can start to climb into the bed. “What is it?” Yahaba asks, looking between his eyes for an answer.

Kyoutani gives him a look before reaching up, and Yahaba suddenly feels lighter as Kyoutani pulls the crown off his head and shows it to him. “You want to sleep with it on?”

Yahaba stares at it before taking the golden crown into his own hands. He’s never really looked at the crown, and Oikawa didn’t wear it all that often. When he did, it was because Matsukawa would shove it into place and remind him he should be wearing it.

Which probably means Matsukawa would do the same to him.

Frowning, Yahaba narrows his eyes as he looks at the crown. “Better without it,” Kyoutani says, and Yahaba looks up at him in surprise. “I can touch your hair without knocking it off now,” he mumbles, reaching up to softly run his fingers through the back of Yahaba’s hair, his claws gently scraping his head in the most soothing way possible.

Yahaba sighs at the feelings, his eyes fluttering closed. “How long has it been?”

Kyoutani grunts, and Yahaba knows that means he doesn’t know what Yahaba is talking about.

“How long since I kissed you last?” He whispers instead, and Kyoutani’s hand stops.

Yahaba opens his eyes again and focuses on Kyoutani’s. Kyoutani stares at him, and Yahaba suddenly feels anxious; how long has it really been?

“I…” Yahaba can’t remember, and he begins to feel horrible. “I’m so sorry, I—”

“No,” Kyoutani drops his hand, and Yahaba hates how cold he suddenly feels. “Yahaba have a hard time - lost a friend… Kyoutani understand…”

Yahaba shakes his head, “it’s not fair to you. We… we were barely together when this all started! I…” He takes a deep breath, focusing on the crown again. “I won’t ignore you anymore.”

“Yahaba, it’s okay,” Kyoutani says, placing his hands over Yahaba’s. “Don’t force yourself…”

He turns his eyes back up to Kyoutani’s face and the warmth from Kyoutani’s hands spreads through Yahaba’s own. He shivers at the feeling, wanting to embrace the heat coming from Kyoutani once again. “I’m not forcing anything - I want to be with you,” he whispers, and before Kyoutani can respond, Yahaba pulls his hands away and throws the crown aside. 

It clatters against the wall, and Kyoutani makes a noise of question before Yahaba surges forward, kissing Kyoutani for the first time in over a week.

It’s as warm as he was hoping for, and Yahaba relaxes at the feeling, pressing closer and pulling himself flush with Kyoutani’s body. Kyoutani seems to hesitate, but once he’s registered what’s happening, Kyoutani takes hold of Yahaba in return and begins to kiss back.

Yahaba shudders at the feeling of warmth surrounding him, grabbing and pulling at Kyoutani to feel his heat everywhere. Kyoutani groans when Yahaba pushes him back, and the collide with the bed, falling on top of it in a heap of tangled limbs and heavy breathing.

Kyoutani breaks the kiss to shift them onto the bed completely, and Yahaba pushes back to sit over him. Kyoutani gapes at him before Yahaba starts to kiss him again, and Yahaba makes quick work of removing the first latch on Kyoutani’s breastplate.

It’s when he’s pulling it off of Kyoutani’s body does he push Yahaba away. “Why…?”

Yahaba tries to catch his breath, licking his lips a little and shifting his weight on Kyoutani’s lap. He stares at the blackened skin and red scars that were hidden by the plate, and the memory of where it came from flares in his mind for a moment. “I…”

Kyoutani stares at him, a questioning look crossing his eyes. “Kyoutani’s go, so does Yahaba’s.”

Yahaba gulps, glancing down to his gloved hands. “What… exactly do you mean?”

Kyoutani reaches up, pushing at the high collar of Yahaba’s shirt and popping the first clasp. “Not gloves - only when Yahaba ready…”

He shivers when Kyoutani’s hand pushes under his shirt and his fingers rest on Yahaba’s collar bone. “I… I see…” He gulps when Kyoutani reaches up to undo another clasp with his other hand, the one under his shirt moving down to push the shirt open - all while his calloused fingers softly run over Yahaba’s skin and down his chest. Yahaba watches Kyoutani’s face, until the shirt is completely undone and hanging open for Kyoutani to see through to Yahaba’s pale skin.

Kyoutani doesn’t immediately move to remove the cloth from Yahaba’s body, and instead reaches up to place his hands against Yahaba’s skin and resting them there. Yahaba feels the muscles in his abdomen moving from the sudden touch, and he holds back his gasp.

“Soft,” Kyoutani mutters, and Yahaba stares at him. “Pale…”

“Yes, I know, I’m extremely pale,” Yahaba grumbles, forcing himself to not close his shirt and completely pull away. “Can we not focus on that right now?”

Kyoutani sits up, jostling Yahaba a little in his lap. He moves to bring their faces close, and his hands slip around to touch Yahaba’s back under his shirt. “I like it,” Kyoutani whispers, and Yahaba knows his face is burning when he feels the heat pool in his cheeks.

“I should hope so,” Yahaba says back, trying to remain confident. “I don’t want to lose you yet…”

Kyoutani shakes his head. “You won’t ever lose me,” he breathes against Yahaba’s lips before pushing forward, kissing him again. Yahaba gasps at the feeling, especially with their bare chests now pressed against one another and the warmth of Kyoutani’s calloused hands pushing into his back and massging into his skin.

Yahaba moans when Kyoutani pushes his tongue forth into Yahaba’s mouth, and he shivers at the feeling of it rubbing against his own. Yahaba feels another jolt of pleasure when his chest rubs against Kyoutani’s, or when their skin brushes in just the right way, and he feels himself melt into Kyoutani’s hold as he pulls Yahaba even closer.

He’s not really sure where he’s touching Kyoutani anymore, but he knows every movement Kyoutani makes against him, and the feeling of Kyoutani’s fingers on his skin continues to send pleasure throughout his being. Kyoutani elicits moans from him again when he pulls Yahaba’s tongue into his own mouth and gently scrapes his fangs against the muscle.

Yahaba feels his knees begin to ache as he sits in Kyoutani’s lap, so while he still has the conscious to think about it, he pushes his legs out from under him and wraps them around Kyoutani’s waist. The action itself only pushes him closer, and Kyoutani is groaning with him now as Yahaba’s hands continue their movement of pulling Kyoutani closer and effectively shifting their chests just enough for their skin to brush.

His world tips and the squishy feeling of the soft bed beneath them presses into his back. Yahaba keeps his legs firmly around Kyoutani’s waist though, and the feeling of Kyoutani’s skin against his doesn’t go away. It does, however, make it hard to keep his back arched into Kyoutani’s front, and Yahaba whines at the loss of some of their contact, especially when Kyoutani pulls his mouth away.

“Take off,” Kyoutani grunts, and Yahaba feels the press of the shirt being pulled from his arms. He drops his legs long enough to sit up and help pull the shirt away, but once Kyoutani has tossed it aside, Yahaba quickly wraps his legs again, reaching up to cup Kyoutani’s face with his hand and kissing him softly.

It tickles, the feeling in his hand, and Yahaba pulls back to look. Kyoutani does as well, reaching up to pull Yahaba’s hand away and they both stare at the blackened skin. Neither move as the sight registers in their minds.

His glove must have come away with the shirt.

Yahaba turns to look at his left hand and sees the glove is still there on that one, but it’s pushed into a bundle at Yahaba’s wrist - only the fingers are still in perfect place. He gulps, and Kyoutani sighs.

“Sorry, I—”

“It’s fine,” Yahaba mutters, reaching over and pulling the second glove away. He flings it off to the side and stares at his hands for a moment before glancing over to Kyoutani’s chest. Slowly, he reaches out with both hands and rests them on top of the wound on Kyoutani’s chest.

It isn’t easy to see right away, but when he positions them just right, Yahaba can see it; some of the vein like scars on his hands spread out off of his skin and continue in their paths on Kyoutani’s. Yahaba leans closer, looking at where the lines match up and lifting some of his hand a little to see underneath.

The palms of his hands do the same with the scars on Kyoutani, but what has his attention is that the back of his hand has identical markings to Kyoutani’s chest.

“That’s insane,” he whispers, and Kyoutani makes a noise of question. “Our scars… they match perfectly…”

Kyoutani hums, reaching up to wrap his hands around Yahaba’s wrists to hold his hands in place over his chest. “Makes sense - touched same thing…”

Yahaba stares into Kyoutani’s eyes, and while the thought of the Hollow Body Phantom usually sends a chill throughout his body, Yahaba only feels warm.

“I hate to interrupt this beautiful moment, but we need to talk, your majesty,” a voice says from the entrance to the second room, and Yahaba turns his head to look.

Matsukawa is leaning in the entrance, Iwaizumi at his side. His new hand is holding the crown and looking it over, having obviously picked it up from wherever Yahaba threw it. What catches Yahaba’s interest however is the fact that Iwaizumi’s face holds and expression for the first time in a week - an expression of sadness, but an expression all the same.

“Iwaizumi…?” He asks, turning a little to really look at him. “Is he…?”

Iwaizumi nods, looking away from the bed he once occupied with his husband.

Matsukawa nods as well, “by turning in Oikawa, the Magic Council deemed me trustworthy again. Enough that when they decided to re-tame Iwaizumi, I offered to do it and they let me.” He gestures to Iwaizumi then, “and he’s been perfectly concealed by my illusion this whole time.”

Yahaba gapes at them, pulling away from Kyoutani completely now. “But… then that means you—”

“He could have done something during the execution,” Matsukawa mutters, “but Oikawa asked him not to.”

Yahaba stares at them, feeling the sensation of oncoming tears once again. “I… I’m so sorry, Iwaizumi…”

“My _vashuco_ knew what he was doing,” Iwaizumi mumbles, “the least I could do was continue to live for him…”

“Still, I can’t imagine,” Yahaba shakes his head, “I just wish we could have done something…”

Iwaizumi huffs, looking over at them again with a hurt expression. “Don’t - remain happy. Kyoutani deserves happiness…”

He turns and walks away, back into the main room of the king’s chambers and Yahaba feels both ashamed and embarrassed. Matsukawa clicks his tongue and nods to the discarded clothes on the floor. “We’ll be in the other room,” he softly says, turning to join Iwaizumi.

Yahaba slowly looks back to Kyoutani and sees the grumpy look on his face. “What’s wrong?”

“Iwaizumi see scar,” he grumbles, placing his hand over the blackness on his chest. “Never good…”

Glancing down, Yahaba focuses on the scars of his own hands and just looks at the marred flesh for the first time in so long. It doesn’t seem like he’s looking at his own hands, and Yahaba doesn’t remember what the flesh on his palms looked like before - he can only recall the cloth of his gloves now, the only things that kept the scars from sight for these past three (nearing four) months.

“We should go speak with them,” he whispers, pushing further away and to the edge of the bed. Kyoutani watches him, and Yahaba bends to grab the discarded shirt and gloves. Tossing his gloves on the bed, he pulls the shirt back over his arms and makes quick work of the latches, the flowing sleeves slipping to his elbows. To the side, he sees Kyoutani finally move away to find his armor Yahaba had cast aside, and Yahaba hesitates on the last latch when he looks to the gloves.

Contemplating what to do, he picks one up and thinks about pulling it back over the dark cracks and weaving scars on his hand. Yahaba runs his fingers over the stitched designs and feels a tremor shake his hand. Clenching his fist, he looks up to see Kyoutani watching him still, having finished with replacing the breastplate on his chest.

“Yahaba?”

He takes a deep breath and quickly pulls the gloves back on, one at a time, before nodding to the door to the main part of the king’s bedchambers. “Let’s go speak with them,” he breathes and hurries around the bed and out the door.

Matsukawa is still holding the crown, but he’s seated himself at the table Oikawa had made into a map - where he produced the chair, Yahaba isn’t completely sure. Meanwhile, Iwaizumi stands beside the fireplace, looking into the fire that Matsukawa no doubt conjured.

“What brings you two here?” Yahaba asks, focusing on Matsukawa.

He looks up from the crown and hums. “Someone said he knew where the elements were - and then we find him in bed with his beast who, I’m sure you realize, has the Magic Council on high alert.” Matsukawa raises a brow and nods to where Kyoutani comes through the doorway. “I think it’s best to keep it in your pants for right now; at least until the council leaves.”

Yahaba takes a deep breath to keep from going off on Matsukawa. He knows he’s right, which only makes the mocking tone worse. “Look, I’m exhausted and I was going to go to sleep early—”

“You call that _sleeping_?”

“— _but I got distracted_ ,” Yahaba intones, glaring at Matsukawa, “only now I’m not distracted, and there’s no way I’m going to sleep at this point.”

Matsukawa gestures to the clutter before him. “Then show me where the elements are.”

Yahaba looks at the table and his boxes of things on top of it, hurrying to move most away to better see the map. Kyoutani seems to realize what he’s doing and quickly moves to do the same. Eventually the table is cleared, and the map of their country is completely visible.

And apparently still active - as soon as the last box is removed, the pieces that represent different units in each kingdom spring to life and return to their posts. Some are in different spots than before, but for the most part, they return to where they were the last time Yahaba saw them prior to being knocked over or scattered.

Even better, the dark cloud Oikawa conjured that represents the Hollow Body Storm returns and hovers over the southern half of Seijou’s borders.

Yahaba stares at the map a moment before grabbing the book from before where Kyoutani had moved it to rest atop one of the boxes. “I… I’m not sure the exact locations, but I have an idea,” he admits, moving back to the table and searching for something.

He finds what he’s looking for; a drawer in the side of the table. Pulling it open, Yahaba finds a discarded piece that Oikawa must not have had a use for the last time he was looking at the table. It looks like a knight for Seijou’s troops, but there’s not enchantment attached to it. Focusing his power, Yahaba transfigures the knight into a figure of water and moves to the Frozen North, placing it down firmly in the center of the frozen tundra. Moving around the table, he gestures for Kyoutani to grab him another piece, glancing at the book again.

Kyoutani tosses him another discarded figure - a crow - and Yahaba changes it into a rock shape, a tiny tree growing from its block. He places it in the Lands of Autumn, turning to hurry around where Matsukawa sits and down to the southern half of the map - the Sun Blessed Desert. Kyoutani against tosses him something - Yahaba has no idea what it’s meant to be, maybe a cat - and he against changes it into something new. This time the piece looks like a flame, complete with a fiery glow, and Yahaba places it firmly in the center of the desert.

He snaps the book shut as he completes his walk around the table and comes to a stop beside Kyoutani, taking the fourth piece from him directly. It’s a broken off bottom half of a beast figure, but Yahaba doesn’t think about that as he transfigures it into a spiral and places it in the center of the Dark Forest.

“Kunimi said the beasts’ language for the elements also meant cardinal directions,” Yahaba begins, focusing on Matsukawa. The Hand of the King taps his fingers against the crown in his lap for sitting forward to better look at the map and the figures Yahaba just placed. Yahaba holds up the book, making Matsukawa focus his gaze up on Yahaba. “This book mentions the cardinal elements more than any book I’ve ever read.”

Matsukawa nods to the book. “What does it say about them?”

“Nothing specific,” Yahaba shrugs, flipping the book open again to the page he’d found earlier. “Just that the four elements combined helped create the universe, alongside the Sun and the Moon - that, as a courtesy to the Sun and Moon, the elements went on to ensure the children of the Sun and Moon were not harmed by other beings of power.”

Matsukawa narrows his eyes and leans back in his chair, humming in thought. “Like… the Hollow Body Phantom?”

Yahaba shakes his head. “The elements created the Phantom and Living Lightning, they didn’t think they would need to protect us from their own children. While humans and other mortals are the children of the Sun and Moon, creatures like the Hollow Body Phantom and Living Lightning are the children of the cardinal elements.”

“So… they’re like our cousins?”

Yahaba shrugs, “basically; what the elements were meant to protect us from on the mortal planes were other things, like the Gods or other celestial beings that didn’t get along with the Sun and Moon.”

Matsukawa sighs and looks away. “So this is religious nonsense.”

“Aren’t you sworn by the Gods as my hand?” Yahaba snaps back, “get your head out of your ass and realize this isn’t nonsense anymore. These aren’t myths or legends - this is history!”

“Yahaba, just because the Hollow Body Phantom is real doesn’t mean the _Gods_ are real, or that we were born from the Sun and the Moon!”

Yahaba heaves a sigh and looks at the ceiling. “Fine, I’ll give you that. But there is some truth to these stories - there has to be!”

“There is,” Iwaizumi calls, and everyone turns to him. He’s leaning against the brick of the fireplace now, but he’s still staring at the flames. “Oikawa proved it…”

Matsukawa stands then, pushing the chair back and letting it clatter to the floor. “Excuse me…?”

Iwaizumi pulls his gaze from the fire and focuses on the other three in the room. “Oikawa proved these aren’t just stories,” he repeats, pushing himself from the mantel and waiting for someone to say anything else. When no one does, he turns his back to them and moves to the side of the fireplace, grabbing a brick against the wall and pulling it away. He sets it on the mantel before reaching inside the hole, pulling something out from it and making his way to the table.

What he sets before them looks ancient and dirty, even full of cobwebs, but Yahaba gapes at it. It’s grey, maybe even silver under all the dust. It looks like there’s some stone it’s made from, but that may be dirt fossilised between the cracks of its swirling form. It’s not easy to tell what it was meant to do, or what it really is, but there’s a symbol Yahaba recognises from the book engraved along the base of what appears to be a stand.

“This is the eastern element of Air,” Iwaizumi says, and no one is able to speak.


	18. Shen

It’s silent for a while as they all stare at the object, and no one seems to know what to say. Yahaba can feel his mouth drying as his jaw hangs slightly open, and he blinks a few times to see if it would disappear, as if it were an illusion.

“The Eastern Element of Air?” Yahaba breathes, staring at the stone sculpture in awe. “How… where…?”

Iwaizumi shrugs, shaking his head. “Oikawa never said where he got it, but he’d been looking for it for two months until he came back with it.”

Matsukawa scoffs, “how do we know it’s the actual thing?”

“Air symbol on side,” Kyoutani grunts, pointing to the spiral etching. “Same as Yahaba book.”

“That doesn’t mean anything,” Matsukawa argues, “and besides, I thought the elements were creatures like the Hollow Body Phantom or Living Lightning?”

Iwaizumi nods, “it’s a creature. Oikawa activated it when he brought it back.”

Yahaba whips towards him in shock. “Activated it…? How did he do that?”

Again, Iwaizumi only shrugs. “I wasn’t sure what was going on - I don’t even know why Oikawa was searching for it in the first place. All I remember is that he suddenly was interested in finding _Shen_ a few months ago.”

Yahaba feels tense then. Turning to Matsukawa, he frowns at the thought that crosses his mind. “Do you think Oikawa knew we needed the elements…?”

“It’s possible,” Matsukawa mumbles, scratching his chin a little, “Oikawa liked to do things alone.”

“He didn’t even know what _Shen_ meant until I told him it meant East and Air,” Iwaizumi says, regaining their attention. “He was researching everything he could find about _Shen_ for almost a month until he finally asked me if it meant something.”

Matsukawa gestures to Iwaizumi, “like I said; Oikawa did things alone.”

Iwaizumi scowls at this, “it took another month until he suddenly disappeared for three days before returning with that. That was almost three months ago, just after you met the Hollow Body Phantom.”

Yahaba gapes at him; he doesn’t even remember a point in which Oikawa was gone for three days. “He… he knew this whole time?”

“He was beaten and bruised and had blood dripping down his arm,” Iwaizumi continues, as though he hadn’t heard Yahaba and was lost to his memory. “But he was so proud to have found this thing that I couldn’t even feel worried when I saw him… the look on his face… he was so happy…”

No one seems to know what to say, and Iwaizumi gets a far off look on his face when he goes quiet after that. Yahaba stares at the table, the element within his peripheral vision. He’s not able to think of a response, or even a question to keep Iwaizumi talking.

Matsukawa clears his throat and Yahaba jumps at the sound. “Did he… tell you what it was or why he had it? Or even how to activate it?” He asks, and Yahaba turns to Iwaizumi for his answer.

Iwaizumi slowly focuses on Matsukawa and narrows his eyes. “That man researched information on something for five days before disappearing in the forest for a full day, only to bring back a useless and disgusting mushroom _just because he heard it was sweet like sugar_ \- I stopped questioning him a long time ago.”

Yahaba bites his lip to keep from laughing; Oikawa was indeed a strange man.

Matsukawa didn’t seem to like his answer though. “Between a stupid mushroom and the _freaking Cardinal Element_ , I think it’s pretty obvious what’s important and what isn’t!”

“Oikawa thought he was literally born from the Moon and that the stars were portals to other worlds where other versions of ourselves lived different lives,” Iwaizumi bluntly states, “I may have loved him, but he was insane.”

Kyoutani snorts and Yahaba elbows him, glaring a silent warning to him.

“Insane but brilliant,” Matsukawa counters, “because apparently he knew about the elements before we did!”

Yahaba sighs, stepping forward before Iwaizumi could argue back. “Look, it doesn’t matter! Oikawa knew things and he didn’t. Either way, he’s gone now and all we have is what he left us - which, considering it’s the Eastern Element of Air, is a pretty big lead on what we need. Iwaizumi, even if you didn’t question his motives, did you at least find out how he activated it?”

Iwaizumi looks between Yahaba and the sculpture and frowns. “No, he just put it on the table, waved his hand around it while mumbling something, and _Shen_ came out.”

“Did it… did _Shen_ say anything?” Yahaba asks, reaching out to hold the spiral shaped stone to get a closer look.

“Yes, but it brought a huge gust of wind and only Oikawa could hear it,” Iwaizumi answers, crossing his arms. “Are you thinking it told Oikawa where to find the rest?”

Yahaba nods a little, turning the figure over in his hands. “I wonder where he found it… or even how he found it…”

“Watari,” Kyoutani says, and Yahaba turns to him with a confused frown. “He nerd - read lot.”

Matsukawa huffs a laugh and shakes his head. “Just because Watari reads a lot doesn’t mean he knows about the Cardinal Elements…”

Kyoutani scowls and grabs the book Yahaba had set aside. “Watari read this!”

Yahaba stares at him, taking the book from Kyoutani’s hands and looking it over, balancing the element figure in his other hand. “When was he reading this…?”

“Brought with when you first see king,” Kyoutani says, tapping his finger on the cover. “We play cards in end, but he brought book.”

Matsukawa sighs under his breath, “why does he talk like that?”

“Because he’s stubborn,” Iwaizumi quietly responds, sounding annoyed.

Yahaba chews his lip for a second before looking back up at Kyoutani. He sets the book aside again and readjusts his hold on the elemental figure. “Go get him,” he says, holding out his hand to replace the simple illusion spell Matsukawa had used before. Kyoutani suddenly goes stiff, and Yahaba frowns at the way his eyes dull. He feels the tremor in his hand, so he grabs hold of the book again to try to calm the shakes, looking away as Kyoutani leaves to obey the command.

“You really think Watari will know?” Matsukawa asks, and Yahaba turns to him in question. “Can we even trust him?”

“It seems dangerous to bring in another person,” Iwaizumi comments, crossing his arms. “It’s bad enough that Kindaichi is involved…”

Yahaba sighs and shakes his head. “Watari is already involved whether he wants to be or not…”

Matsukawa scoffs and brings his chair back back up with a wave of his hand, sitting back down. “Of course he is, you two do everything together… Still, I don’t think he should get involved, Yahaba.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever met Watari,” Iwaizumi says, and Yahaba begins to worry he’ll agree with Matsukawa. “Do you trust him?”

Yahaba hesitates, but he nods. “He’s my best friend - everything Oikawa assigned to me that I couldn’t understand right away, he helped me solve it.”

“Then let’s see what he has to say,” Iwaizumi turns to lean against the table, reaching out to grab the figure of a beast in the Frozen North. “If he can figure it out, I’ll be impressed… like I said, it took Oikawa a month once he knew what he was looking for…”

Yahaba bites his lip as he looks over the figure that contains the Eastern Element of Air. “You don’t remember Oikawa saying why he was looking for it?”

“No,” Iwaizumi mumbles, tossing the beast figure in the air before turning it over in his hand. “He just said he was told to find _Shen_ by someone in the market… never said if there was a reason or any other details, and I never asked.”

“Should have asked,” Matsukawa comments, leaning back in his seat. “Especially if he’s talking to strangers and taking their advice to find things.”

Iwaizumi puts the little figure back down, shaking the table a little with the force of his movement, and stands away to glare at Matsukawa. “I get it already, I was a horrible partner and should have checked on him more, now please stop talking…”

Yahaba watches the beast figure slowly move across the map to return to its place near Nekoma’s castle, feeling the tension rolling off of both Iwaizumi and Matsukawa. 

Matsukawa sighs and sits forward, resting his elbows on the table and digging his fingers into his hair. “I’m not criticising you, Iwaizumi. It just would have been nice to have had some answers from Oikawa…”

Iwaizumi turns his back and grunts. “Well, nothing we can do about that now…”

Yahaba returns his focus onto the element figure in his hands, wondering to himself how Oikawa may have activated it. Nothing comes to mind, and the sculpture rests heavy in his hands. 

The doors click open and they all turn to see Kyoutani returning with Watari, the doors clicking closed soon after. Watari is eyeing Kyoutani with confusion, _Children of the Moon_ clutched to his chest with pieces of paper sticking out the sides. Kyoutani makes his way to Yahaba’s side and waits. Yahaba nods and removes the illusion, resting his hand against Kyoutani’s cheek. “Thank you, Kyoutani…”

Watari makes a noise of understanding then, moving closer to his friend and eyeing Iwaizumi. “I get it, it was an illusion. That’s why you were acting so weird…”

Kyoutani nods, gesturing to Yahaba, “need help, Watari read book.”

Watari pauses, pulling the book from his chest to look down at it. “Uh… what does _Children of the Moon_ have to do with… literally anything?”

Yahaba shifts the element sculpture in his hold to show it to Watari. “Does this mean anything to you?”

“It’s a sculpture…?” Watari tries, looking between it and Yahaba with confusion. “I’m sorry, I’m going to need more than some spiral stone sculpture…”

Matsukawa grunts, standing up and moving around the table. “Cardinal Elements - does that mean anything to you?”

Watari eyes the hand before looking around at everyone else. “Uh… North, East, South, and West…?” Yahaba rolls his hand, gesturing for Watari to say more. He blinks once and glances to the book again before saying, “also known as Water, Air, Fire, and Earth…?”

Yahaba steps forward, holding out the sculpture again. “And this is…?”

Watari shifts his focus between the sculpture and Yahaba a few times before furrowing his brows. “Well, I mean, it looks like it’s supposed to represent the Eastern Element of Air, but I don’t know what—”

“So you know what it is?” Yahaba cuts him off, and Watari gapes at him.

“I’m sorry, how the fuck did you get the Eastern Element of Air?” He asks, shaking his head, “the elements have been missing for centuries, they’re practically myths now!”

Silence meets his statement, and Yahaba slowly turns to look at Matsukawa again. Matsukawa’s jaw is hanging open and he looks as though he’s just heard something that both shocks and angers him - most likely because Yahaba was right to trust Watari. Iwaizumi scoffs beside Matsukawa, sending him a look. “Told you,” he mumbles, and Matsukawa narrows his eyes on him.

Yahaba turns back to Watari and takes a deep breath. “We’re not sure how, but Oikawa was the one who found this…” Watari’s face shifts to one of amazement, before a sad frown takes over and he glances to Iwaizumi for just a moment. “He also apparently activated it.”

“Activated it?” Watari asks, staring at the sculpture. “Then… Air is inside this?”

“Apparently, but we’re not sure how he did it.”

Watari’s brows furrow and he leans closer to inspect the sculpture just a little. “I’m… I’m not certain, but…” He reaches out and brushes his thumb across the top of the spiral, removing some cobwebs and dust to show some shine underneath. “I think I might have read about this at some point…”

Yahaba glances to his book in his other hand. “What does that book say?”

“It’s mostly about Wizards and Beasts,” Watari admits, pulling away to focus on the book again. “Stuff about the Moon and the Sun, with some things about other creatures and beings - even a few things about the Gods. The Cardinal Elements… well, they come up every now and then, but they’re more so mentioned than directly involved in the legends.”

“Are there any other books?” Yahaba tries, “or anything else that could point us in the right direction?”

Watari’s jaw shifts as he thinks about it, his eyes looking about as if he trying to find the correct answer. “Right direction for what?”

“We need the Cardinal Elements to fight the Hollow Body Phantom,” Matsukawa cuts in, and Watari stares at him. “They defeated Hollow Body Phantom before, we need them to do it again.”

Nodding a little, Watari looks around the room until he sees Oikawa’s bookshelf and hurries over to it. “Well, if Oikawa figured it out, then so can we.”

They all watch him begin to pull books from the shelves and hurry over, taking anything he hands to them. Eventually there’s a pile of about twenty books on the table and Watari leaves the bookshelf to look over what they pulled down.

“Okay, let’s see here,” he mumbles, picking up one book and setting it to the side. “Sort the books - anything about the Moon and the Sun can go over there,” he points to the side of the table that represents the Sun Blessed Desert, “and anything about Hollow Body Phantom or Living Lightning can over over here,” he sets down a few books in the Frozen North section of the map. “Anything else can go in the center.”

Iwaizumi and Kyoutani don’t move to grab any books, and Yahaba looks between them. “What’s wrong?”

“We can speak your language, but we can’t read it,” Iwaizumi explains, and Watari pauses to stare at him. “If we tried to help, the books wouldn’t go to the right place.”

Yahaba nods and returns to the stacks, but not before he feels Watari grab his arm in shock. “He can talk…?”

Yahaba frowns. “Yeah…?”

Watari points to Kyoutani, “but… he can’t even form a coherent sentence…”

Everyone stops and stares at Watari, and Iwaizumi scoffs. “I wouldn’t worry about that, Watari,” Yahaba says, “just focus on finding information on the elements.”

Nodding slowly, Watari turns back to the table and they begin to sort the books. Yahaba moves to help, but the book he grabs feels odd in his hands. Frowning, Yahaba looks over the cover and doesn’t find a title, or even an author’s name. Flipping it open, he stops and stares at what lies within.

The pages are stuck together, and a section in the middle is hollowed out - a secret hiding place for small objects. Sitting in the center is a smaller book, with Oikawa’s handwriting on the cover. Yahaba hesitates before reaching in to pull out the smaller book.

It shocks him, and he drops the book altogether, clutching his hand. Matsukawa and Watari stop sorting the books to look at him, and Kyoutani moves closer to look over his hand. Iwaizumi stoops down, reaching for the smaller book that had fallen away. “What’s this?”

“Wait—” Yahaba starts, but he stops when Iwaizumi holds it easily. He sends Yahaba a look before turning the little book over in his hands. “Why isn’t it hurting you?”

“Protection spell,” Matsukawa guesses, “only certain people are allowed to touch it. Whatever is inside, only Iwaizumi is allowed to see it.”

Iwaizumi narrows his eyes and stares at the book. “But why me? I can’t read your language…”

“Well, the cover says ‘Oikawa’s Greatest Discoveries, so…” Watari says, and shrugs. “Maybe he thought you could read it?”

“He knew I couldn’t,” Iwaizumi mutters, holding the book at it’s spine to flip it open to a random page.

Immediately, light shoots from the pages and everyone steps back in surprise. Iwaizumi gapes up at the light before it forms into a light blue image of Oikawa himself.

Everyone goes silent.

“ _Hello Iwa-chan_ ,” the projected image says, and smiles down to Iwaizumi. “ _If you’re reading this, then I’m gone_ ,” it continues on, “ _but if you’re not reading this, and instead are seeing an image of me, it’s because you still can’t read._ ”

Iwaizumi’s expression looks helpless and a far away look glosses over his eyes. “Fuck you, you asshole,” he whispers, and Yahaba hears no animosity in his voice.

“ _Either way, I’m gone_ ,” Oikawa’s image continues, “ _and you need my help with all the things you never felt the need to ask me… it’s okay though, because I knew you would need this eventually._ ”

Iwaizumi looks as though he wants to be angry, but something is keeping him from truly reaching that point. “What did you write down, _vashuco_ ,” he mutters, closing his eyes when his voice shakes.

“ _I titled every section of this book with something new I discovered,_ ” Oikawa’s image explains, “ _and just in case you still can’t read, I’m leaving a loophole in the protection spell. It will allow you to hand the book to someone else so they can find the right section, but they can’t hold it for too long. Make sure you trust the right people,_ ” the image chuckles, “ _I know I did._ ”

With that, the image disperses and the light retracts into the book. Iwaizumi takes a deep breath and hands the book back to Yahaba, his eyes dark when he looks at him. “Find the section about the elements,” he commands, and Yahaba slowly nods, turning to the book to flip through the pages as quickly as he can.

At about the midpoint of the book, Yahaba stops when he finds the words _Cardinal Elements_ scrawled across the top of the page in large, bold lettering. Quickly, he hands the book back to Iwaizumi, just before he could feel the tingling sensations of the protection spell tickle at his exposed fingers.

Iwaizumi holds the book out, waiting to see if Oikawa’s image will appear again. It takes a moment, but Oikawa’s face suddenly appears in the stream of light and he begins to speak without any introduction.

“ _An old woman in the market told me a month ago to find_ Shen, _though I have no idea what that means. Iwa-chan explained today that it means both East and Air, and my first thought was the Cardinal Elements,_ ” he explains, sighing a little, “ _I should have asked you sooner, my love…_ ” Iwaizumi frowns at the self deprecating tone, but otherwise remains focused on Oikawa. “ _Anyway, the Cardinal Elements according to legends were among the first to exist in this world, alongside the Sun and the Moon. In some ways, they were the siblings of Sun and Moon, but at the same time they were not. Their relation doesn’t matter so much, only that in response to the Sun and Moon’s children, humans and animals, the Cardinal Elements began their own work on creating other creatures._

_“Iwa-chan and I have been trying to find a way to discover if the existence of Hollow Body Phantom is truly out there. No luck yet, and I’m beginning to worry we’ll never know for sure what’s killing the foliage south of Seijou._ ” He flickers, and Yahaba wonders if this means Oikawa’s next entry is from another point in time. He seems happier this time - maybe a little out of it, but definitely… excited. “ _The Cardinal Elements are rarely mentioned, but that’s only if you don’t look out for keywords; for example, Air can also be called the East, but is every instance of the word East referring to Air? The answer is yes - any story that talks about East is talking about Air, even if it seems the story is just telling you something happened to the east of something._ Shen _is Air as well as East, and therefore anything about the eastern side of the world is about_ Shen. _Suddenly, everything is about the Cardinal Elements!_ ”

Yahaba isn’t sure he’s following the logic here, but in a way it makes sense. The stories about Hollow Body Phantom or Living Lighting - even about the Sun and the Moon - refer to places in the cardinal directions rather than the names they are called now; Frozen North is hardly used except when explaining that the events of the legendary event took place where it is always snowing.

“ _In my readings, I found plenty of mention of South interacting with their foxes, and while it focused mostly on the trouble the Fox Fires bring to people, it was like the Southern Element of Fire liked to mess with people,_ ” he sounds thrilled, “ _and the word North is mentioned a lot when talking about Glacitors - not even the Frozen North, just North. These stories are not talking about where they are, they’re talking about the Cardinal Elements being directly involved with their creations!_ ”

He flickers again, and Yahaba glances back to Kyoutani. “Do you know any of these stories?”

Kyoutani shrugs, “seem different to Kyoutani’s stories.”

He nods before looking back to Oikawa’s image, only now he looks exhausted.

“ _It’s been two weeks, but I can’t find the last story of the Elements to tell me where they might have ended up. I know I read it somewhere… I think it had to do with Hollow Body Phantom - which is just great,_ ” Oikawa sounds sarcastic as he rolls his eyes, “ _because if they can help me destroy Hollow Body Phantom when Iwa-chan and I find it, that would be perfect. Unless they’re all about keeping the shadow monster, then I think we’re all screwed._ ”

Oikawa flickers for the third time, and again, he seems excited about what he’s found. Yahaba wonders if this is the point where he found his answer.

“ _Hollow Body Phantom has got to be real,_ ” he begins to say, but he becomes serious for a moment as he explains his reasoning. “ _My precious student most likely came face to face with the creature - his hands… I’ve never seen such scarring outside of the dead plants and some animals where the Hollow Body Storm hangs in the sky…_ ” Oikawa’s image shakes his head and he continues on, “ _but he’s okay. He managed to keep himself safe - both him and the beast. Iwa-chan said it was his brother, Kyoutani, but the Magic Council took him. I hope they’ll consider my suggestion of Yahaba becoming the owner of this beast; I have a feeling Kyoutani won’t remain ‘tamed’ for long if he’s under Yahaba’s command._ ”

Everyone turns to look at Yahaba and Kyoutani at this, and Yahaba feels his face burn at the looks they’re all sending him.

“ _Either way, Yahaba doesn’t remember what happened. I hope he never has to remember,_ ” Oikawa sighs, “ _but… he probably will have to face the memory one day. For now, I’ll leave him to enjoy the blissful life of ignorance. He’s too young to be faced with these horrors._ ”

Yahaba frowns and mumbles, “you’re only a year older than me…”

Oikawa’s image hums to himself, “ _but that isn’t the point of this entry. The real point is that I found the final story of the Cardinal Elements! I was right,_ ” he sounds happy again, “ _it did involve Hollow Body Phantom, and they sealed it away, along with it’s storm!_ ”

Matsukawa stands a little straighter and moves closer. “Come on, out with it,” he grumbles, waiting with baited breath. Yahaba can feel the tension from everyone, and knows this means they’re all anxiously awaiting the answer.

“ _But to seal Hollow Body Phantom, they had to to seal themselves… all four are scattered, in locations most natural to their element, at the four corners of their own direction._ ” Oikawa grins, “ _I’m almost there, my love - I just need to find the point here in the eastern part of our world where the wind is the strongest._ ” He takes a deep breath and nods, “ _the mountains… only Johzenji go there, but even they don’t go to the highest point…_ ”

Oikawa’s image flickers once more and he returns, looking as though he’d been through hell and back. Apparently the image of Oikawa shows him as he was when he wrote the entry, and Yahaba notes there seems to be blood dripping down the side of his face.

“Shen _was difficult to get to, but easy to find. I have it now, and I’ll be returning home to you, Iwa-chan. Soul Whistle did what it could, but even the kind creature couldn’t help me… anyway, once I’m home, I have to activate the element and speak with_ Shen _directly._ ” Oikawa shakes his head, “ _I hope she’s ready to talk. I can think of only one way to get an element of the wind to return to this world and speak with me, and it’s going to take a lot of magic._ ”

His light image disperses again and returns to the book, and Iwaizumi stares down at the scrawled writing he can’t read. Yahaba turns his focus to the sculpture he left on the table and tries to piece together what Oikawa meant in the end.

Matsukawa scowls, “what? How did he activate it?”

Yahaba turns to the table and begins to move some of the books around. Kyoutani and Watari notice and begin to help him, while Iwaizumi flips the pages with interest. “Maybe he wrote something else…?”

“It seems like only the parts written under the titled sections are spoke through the image,” Matsukawa sighs, and Yahaba leans in to look closely at the element’s prison. “Did he draw anything? Oikawa was okay at drawing…”

“I… I think that’s a drawing,” Iwaizumi says, “or it’s a word. I’m not sure, what does that say?”

Yahaba tunes them out as they try to find anything else and blows a little on the dust the covers the sculpture. He might have imagined it, but the metal that appears underneath seemed to glow for a second as he blew on it. Frowning, Yahaba grabs the spiral shape and shifts it over the map and to where the mountains stretch along the ocean side, directly in the east.

It’s definitely glowing now, and Yahaba releases his hold. Matsukawa and Iwaizumi’s voices go silent and Watari takes a step back. He feels Kyoutani get closer and he glances over to him.

“Bear,” Kyoutani whispers, his face completely serious.

Yahaba stares for a second before he remembers. “The bear,” he whispers back before turning to the object again. Without another thought, Yahaba summons the largest gust of wind he can manage around the sculpture and immediately feels the strain in his hands.

He doesn’t drop his hold however, and he keeps the wind spiraling around the object until finally the glow brightens and additional wind suddenly sweeps around them. When the pain in his wrist gets to be too much, he drops his hands and the spell, but the wind remains. He thinks he hears someone calling to him, but the wind is too strong.

Suddenly, a blurred image of someone - it could be a woman, but Yahaba isn’t sure of the gender or if that even matters - manifests itself within the spiral of wind, glowing from the sculpture itself and lighting their features.

“ _Shigeru_ ,” a voice echos in his mind, and Yahaba gapes at the image, “ _bring me to my fellows, and we shall be freed_.” He doesn’t know if he can respond, the wind capturing his voice. “ _Do not be afraid;_ Lome _is where heat sits within the cold, protected by their vicious creatures._ Minle _is hidden in warm leaves, protected by their dream catchers. And_ Fute _is at the heart of where one could die if they do not know the way, easily found if their creatures find trust within._ ”

Yahaba begins to feel a pull on his lungs, and he worries he won’t be able to breathe in this vortex of wind. Just as the edges of his vision begin to blacken, the wind dies down and the image disperses, and they’re left to a silent room as though nothing had happened; some light weight objects had scattered from the wind, and Yahaba can feel his hair trying to fall back into place, but aside from that, everything was normal again.

Breathing much easier, Yahaba turns to face the four others in the room. “ _Now_ I have an idea where the Cardinal Elements might be.”


	19. Fall

“Gods, I hate riddles,” Watari mumbles, rubbing his temples. “Why did it have to be a riddle?”

Matsukawa chuckles, “it’s not so bad; I like riddles.”

Watari turns to him with a scowl on his face. “Then you solve it!”

“Gladly,” Matsukawa answers, nodding to Yahaba. “Write it down for me, will you?”

Yahaba sighs and turns to the table, grabbing a loose sheet of paper and summoning a pen to his hand to jot down what Shen had told him. “Once we know where to go, how are we going to go about finding them?”

Matsukawa shares a look with Iwaizumi before glancing at the map of the table top. “Then I’ll go to find them myself; you’re the king now, Yahaba. You need to stay here.”

He pauses on the second sentence of the riddle and glances over to him. “Excuse me?”

“The kingdom needs their king, Yahaba,” Matsukawa says, raising his hand and the crown he’d left set aside comes immediately to him. He steps forward and places the crown on Yahaba’s head. “You can’t abandon the kingdom like this.”

Yahaba throws down the pen and stands straight. “I can’t _rule_ this kingdom without my hand, and if you really think you can leave me behind when I have no idea how to run a kingdom, you—”

“ _Okay, I get it_!” Matsukawa shouts, holding his hands out in surprise. “Obviously an inexperienced king can’t be left alone… we’ll figure something else out.”

Iwaizumi gestures to the table, “we figure out where the elements are in this world, then I’ll go get them. I have no place here, not with my _vashuco_ gone. I’ll finish what he started.”

Yahaba and Matsukawa glance between themselves before looking over the table again. “That could work; no one would miss him if he went,” Yahaba muses, taking up the pen again to finish writing the riddle down.

“That might not work though,” Watari jumps in, “the Magic Council thinks he’s tamed. If he disappears, they’ll want to find him - or worse, they’ll come for one of you to try to find out how he got out of being tamed again.”

Matsukawa heaves a sigh and nods. “Watari is right; Iwaizumi can’t go alone. So who do we send?”

“No point decide now when no idea element be,” Kyoutani snaps, and everyone turns to look at him. “Solve riddle, _then_ decide who go!”

Yahaba nods and finishes the last word he recalls being said to him, picking up the sheet to hand it off to Matsukawa. “Well, riddle master - solve it.”

Matsukawa takes the sheet and looks it over, frowning to himself. “ _Heat sits within cold_? Not positive just yet of that, but the _protected by their vicious creatures_ is definitely glacitors.”

“Glacitors?” Yahaba asks, furrowing his brows. “So Water is definitely in the Frozen North, because there’s nothing about glacitors appearing anywhere that snow isn’t.”

“Shocker, the one about the Northern Element ends up saying that it’s in the north,” Matsukawa mutters sarcastically and Yahaba narrows his eyes. “Sorry. Anyway, let’s take a look at the Frozen North with a little more detail,” he continues on, moving over to the side of the table that’s painted white.

“I’ll grab a more in depth map,” Watari says, hurrying to the bookshelves as everyone else crowds around the top of the table.

“ _Where heat sits within cold_ ,” Matsukawa mumbles to himself, inspecting the painted ridges of the table near. “So it’s in a place that’s warm but not a large space, because everything around it is cold… a hot spring?”

Watari pushes between Iwaizumi and Kyoutani and places a book down, flipping to a more detailed map of the Frozen North. “That makes sense, there’s some hot springs in the north.”

“Gods, why isn’t it more specific?” Matsukawa groans, wincing at the map in the book. “Well, where at the hot springs in the Frozen North?”

“They’re mostly small is the thing, I feel like the Northern Element of Water would be somewhere more… grand?” Watari poses, frowning to himself. “Then again, Oikawa said he found the Eastern Element of Air in the mountains to the east of us - it’s entirely possible that it is at a small hot spring.”

Yahaba shakes his head, “that’s too many hot springs to go to. It could take years just to travel to them all until Water is found.”

Iwaizumi looks between them and shakes his head. “Does it really matter? No matter how long it takes, we have to find the elements.”

“What that?” Kyoutani asks, pointing at something in the book. “Look important.”

Yahaba pulls the book closer to himself and reads over the information that Kyoutani had pointed at. “It’s… forbidden?”

Matsukawa’s brows raise at this. “Forbidden? Why is it forbidden?”

“It just says that the Kingdom of Nekoma marked the area as forbidden for anyone to go to,” Yahaba reads the information over again. “I… I think it’s considered dangerous.”

Iwaizumi straightens, “then that’s the place assuming it’s a hot spring. You said it’s protected by vicious creatures - these glacitors must be what makes the place dangerous.”

Yahaba nods and taps his finger against the information. “The key of the map says it’s a hot spring, but the information Kyoutani pointed out says that people can’t go there.”

Matsukawa takes the book and looks between the map there and the map on the table. He points to a section of the painted map and nods. “Oikawa marked places on his table that have villages or towns or… or people in general. There’s nothing around the area that this hot spring is; it’s gotta be here.”

Yahaba waves his hand and pushes the figure he made to represent the Northern Element of Water to where Matsukawa is pointing, directly to the north of everything else. “Next element,” Yahaba says and looks over everyone. They stare at him and he frowns. “What?”

Kyoutani stands straight as well to reach up and pushes at the crown on his head. “Crooked,” he mutters and Yahaba scoffs, pushing at him. “Next element,” Kyoutani repeats and turns to everyone else.

Matsukawa clears his throat and nods, taking the sheet with the riddle and reads over the next part. He looks personally offended as he moans, “ _hidden in warm leaves_?! Gods, why couldn’t Air be more specific? That could be anywhere in the Lands of Autumn!”

“There’s more to it than that,” Yahaba admonishes and Matsukawa sends him a look.

“ _Protected by their dream catches_. Again, that could be anywhere.”

Watari flips through the book again and shakes his head. “No, it’s actually not; dream catchers… that means the terror vines that Earth created.”

“Terror vines?” Iwaizumi questions, watching Watari take the book over to the side of the table that is painted in oranges and reds. “What are those?”

“Terror vines are vines created by the element of Earth. If you become ensnared in them, you fall into a deep sleep,” Watari looks between the book and the table, as though trying to determine something, “but you’ll dream of happy things.”

“Why terror? Sound nice,” Kyoutani points out, crossing his arms.

Yahaba winces, “because the vines eat your flesh until you’re dead once you’ve fallen asleep.”

“Oh, you mean _borce_ ,” Iwaizumi huffs a laugh, “yeah. Terror vine works.”

Matsukawa looks amused, “so what do you call glacitors?”

“What exactly are those?”

“They’re monsters made from snow,” Matsukawa explains, “Water supposedly made them for attacking purposes - I don’t remember the details of that legend.”

Iwaizumi looks as though he’s thinking about it before he nods. “I… I’m not sure, but I think we call them _olain_.”

“ _Olain_ snow monster,” Kyoutani agrees, “big snow monster.”

“Lovely,” Watari cuts in and everyone turns to him, “now that we have that out of the way, let’s focus on the Western Element of Earth and its location.”

Yahaba grunts his agreement and hurries around the table to stand at his side. “What did you find?”

“Well, as far as I’ve always known, terror vines aren’t spread out all over the place. They’re usually close to waters and dark areas like caves, so if we can find anything like that in the Lands of Autumn—”

“That’s where we’ll most likely find Earth,” Yahaba finishes for him, smiling a little. “I’m so glad I dragged you into this Watari; you literally know everything.”

Watari scoffs, “I don’t know _everything_... but thanks. I’ll haunt you if this gets me killed.”

“Noted,” Yahaba takes hold of the book and leans over to see the information more clearly. They set the book down together and lean in, quietly looking over the map of the Land of Autumn.

Yahaba barely notices when Matsukawa comes to his side, or when Iwaizumi and Kyoutani move to stand across the table from them. He’s beginning to grow uncertain they’ll find anything when Watari suddenly slams his hand onto the book and startles him. “Here!” Watari shouts for good measure, “it has to be here!”

Yahaba leans over to see what he’s pointing at and sees that Watari found a place on the map where a cave network begins, and it looks as though a river flows straight into the cave.

“It’s the only place with any kind of water and cave, especially so intricately woven together. The terror vines have to be here, which means Earth is as well,” Watari explains before pushing the book out of the way. He looks between the table and the map a few times before pointing to a spot in the Lands of Autumn. “I’m pretty sure this is the place.”

Yahaba leans in and looks closely at the map on the table. “What… what are those?” He asks, noticing the little etches near where Watari is pointing. There’s a radius around that area where the etchings don’t come close to it at all.

“The etchings aren’t really meant to be noticed,” Matsukawa explains, “because Oikawa didn’t think it was that important; they show where people should be. If there’s nothing surrounding the area Watari found, then…”

Yahaba grabs the figure he’d made to represent Earth and placed it down where Watari had pointed. “Two down, one to go - what do you make of the riddle, Matsukawa?”

Matsukawa brings the sheet up again and looks it over. “I don’t think we’ll be able to find its exact location on the map itself.”

“Why not?” Yahaba thinks over the words as he makes his way to the southern end of the table. “ _Heart of where one could die if they do not know the way_... that’s not very specific, is it?”

“None of it is, I’m confused as to how you’re all thinking of some kind of answer,” Iwaizumi interjects, crossing his arms. “How do you know for sure that’s where they’re located?”

“We don’t,” Matsukawa admits, still staring at the sheet. “But for _Fute_ \- or rather the Southern Element of Fire - it doesn’t look like we’ll need a map. Just… a good heart.”

Watari pauses in his flipping to the maps on the Sun Blessed Desert and slowly turns his gaze to Matsukawa. “What the hell does that mean?”

“ _Easily found if their creatures find trust within_ ,” Matsukawa reads aloud and raises a brow in question. “Sounds like a Fox Fire if you ask me.”

“ _Antlyp_?” Kyoutani asks, making Iwaizumi straighten in surprise. “They help?”

Matsukawa hums in contemplation, “yes, but only if they judge you to be good. The stories said that they were created to assist those who were good of heart, and lead those who were not to their deaths.”

“The Fox Fires in the south can lead us to Fire,” Yahaba says, taking the figure that represents the element in question and scrutinizing it closely. “I don’t know, what if they judge whoever goes to find Fire to be bad and they die?”

“I like to think we’re all good people here, Yahaba,” Matsukawa replies, crossing his arms. “Or do you disagree?”

Yahaba avoids his eyes. “I’m sure we can all think of one thing we’re guilty of…”

Iwaizumi scoffs, shaking his head. “I’ve never regretted anything in my life.”

“Same,” Kyoutani mumbles, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. “No bad, only mistakes… but no regrets.”

Watari scratches his head and shrugs a little. “I… I’m not really sure. I mean, it’s possible I did do something wrong, but I don’t think I ever meant to hurt anyone.”

“The only thing I’m guilty of is turning Oikawa in to the Magic Council,” Matsukawa admits, “but even then, Oikawa wanted me to do it.”

Yahaba bites his lip and tries to think of anything. “I… I guess you’re right. But what if they judge us on something we may not even consider to be bad?”

Matsukawa shakes his head and gestures to the maps again. “Look, I’m sure the Fox Fires will help us - there’s nothing to be worried about. Now let’s instead focus on the next task.”

Nodding, Yahaba places the figure that represents Fire down in an area of the Sun Blessed Desert that doesn’t have the etchings he hadn’t noticed before. “So assuming all these places are correct—”

He doesn’t get to finish, as the little figurines begin to light up in their respective colors. In response, the sculpture of Air that hadn’t been moved begins to glow as well, and suddenly lines of light shoot out from each, meeting in the center of the map and becoming a ball of white light. Yahaba shields his eyes, unable to look directly at the light. It only lasts a moment, but once it’s over, the lights completely die out and the table returns to what it once was before the glowing began.

They all gape at the table in confusion, trying to piece together what just happened.

Uncertain, Yahaba clears his throat. “So… assuming that means we’ve got it correct, who will we be sending?”

No one immediately speaks, all of them looking between one another. After a moment’s pause, Watari clears his throat. “I could go; I can tell Mizoguchi I’ve found a quest for a difficult potion. He’s been wanting me to decide on something complex to create for him, and if I can figure something out, I could use it as an excuse.”

Yahaba considers this, feeling certain it would work when Matsukawa shakes his head. “Unfortunately, Oikawa could barely handle getting the Eastern Element of Air - Iwaizumi even said he was bloodied and bruised when he got back,” he counters before sending Watari an apologetic look. “You aren’t a top tier; this will be dangerous enough for me or Yahaba alone.”

Watari looks as though he wants to argue, but it’s clear he understands where Matsukawa is coming from. “So send me,” Iwaizumi says, and Matsukawa opens his mouth to shoot down the idea when Iwaizumi clarifies, “send me _with_ Watari. I can keep him safe, and you can tell the Magic Council you loaned your beast to him when you heard about his quest.”

“That could work,” Yahaba murmurs, thinking it over again. “Still, what if you come into contact with magic Watari isn’t capable of?”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence…”

Yahaba shakes his hand dismissively, “I’m not saying you’re bad at magic. I’m saying, what if you need something you’re not good at? It could happen to any one of us actually - Oikawa was good at… everything, and he still had trouble.”

Matsukawa scoffs, “he wasn’t good at _everything_. Just… most things.”

“Either way, he had trouble himself. I… I think we all need to go.” Yahaba bites his lip, realizing how ridiculous that sounded.

Matsukawa narrows his eyes. “Hell no - you’re the king, you aren’t going anywhere.”

Yahaba crosses his arms and glares back. “Oikawa left whenever he wanted.”

“You’re not Oikawa.”

“I didn’t say I was,” Yahaba snaps, avoiding eye contact with everyone by staring down at the table. “... but as king, I can decide what’s best for me - for the kingdom. Right now, Seijou doesn’t need me to lead them,” he slowly looks back up to Matsukawa. “They need you.”

Matsukawa’s jaw shifts, and Yahaba could swear he hears the grinding of his teeth. “So that’s it - you four will go and I have to stay here to lead our people for you?”

Yahaba takes a shaking breath. “It’s not ideal, but—”

“It’s not, you’re right,” Matsukawa cuts in, heaving a sigh. “But it’s the best option to ensure you’ll all make it and find the elements…”

He’s silent for a moment as he stares at the Hand of the King. “So… we can go?”

Matsukawa nods, but he doesn’t look happy. “It would be more ideal that you stay and I teach you how to be a king. Unfortunately, this journey… it needs you to go, and these three will be your support,” he gestures to the others. “I want to be able to help, but the only way I’ll be able to is by taking care of the kingdom while you’re gone.”

Yahaba gapes at him now. “You’re sure this will be okay?”

“No, but at this point, there isn’t any other choice,” he admits before looking over the map. “Knowing what it’s like to not believe… I doubt the other kingdom’s would jump to help us if we sent messages to them. We’re going to have to do this on our own.”

Watari nods, a pinched expression on his face. “It’s not going to be easy - especially if we meet someone from the other kingdoms and they try to stop us. Some of these places could be blocked off by royal order, especially if the mountains Oikawa found Air in are the ones our people know not to go to under any circumstances…”

“Which is why you’ll be going together,” Matsukawa states, “as the newly crowned king, Yahaba will have access to things an ordinary person would not. If it comes to the beasts in that land, you’ll have Iwaizumi to handle things.”

Watari narrows his eyes on Matsukawa. “So what’s the point of me going?”

“The excuse - you have a quest to go on and Yahaba is going with you to better learn about the world as Seijou’s new king. I ‘loan’ you ‘Four’ and ‘Sixteen’ goes where the king does.” He nods to himself and crosses his arms, “there, we worked that out.”

“And if someone catches on?” Yahaba mumbles, gaining everyone’s attention. “What happens when the Magic Council realizes what’s going on?”

Matsukawa takes a deep breath, taking on a thoughtful look. “I’ll handle them - hopefully they don’t catch on until you’re already in the north.”

Yahaba’s brows knit together and he bites his lip as he considers the response. “I don’t like that plan; I’d rather know my hand is safe and the people will be alright.”

“It’s the best I can do right now,” is all he gets in response before Matsukawa glances to the window. “The sun is beginning to set - I think we’ve all done enough for today. Tomorrow we can prepare you four for travel.”

Watari and Iwaizumi nod once, the latter patting Kyoutani’s shoulder before turning towards the door. Matsukawa inclines his head to Yahaba and glances between Watari and Kyoutani as well as he moves around the table to follow after Iwaizumi. Watari hesitates, looking over Yahaba with worry in his brow.

“We’ll talk in the morning,” Yahaba murmurs, and Watari still hesitates. “Things are fine - I’m fine.”

“If you say so,” Watari replies, but he doesn’t sound convinced. “This whole thing… it’s gotten more and more serious as the days go by, hasn’t it?”

Yahaba avoids his eyes and focuses on the center of the table where the lights had met. “All I know is that Hollow Body Phantom needs to be stopped… but we can’t do that by charging forward with sleepless nights behind us. Get some rest, Watari; I will see you tomorrow.”

Watari sighs, reaching out to pat Yahaba’s shoulder and keeping his hand there for a moment. “I… I’m sorry for your loss… and at the same time, congratulations on your coronation.”

“Nothing to congratulate…”

“Of course,” Watari mumbles, dropping his hand, “sleep well, your majesty.”

Yahaba can’t bring himself to argue that as Watari moves away, passing by Kyoutani with a nod and hurrying to the doors where Matsukawa waits with Iwaizumi. Yahaba watches them leave, Matsukawa looking back only once before shutting the doors behind them. Slowly he returns his gaze to the table and focuses on the figures of the elements he’d placed on the map.

The silence is suffocating and Yahaba hopes it will go away soon. But Kyoutani doesn’t move, and there is nothing he can think to say. After a moment where the silence has settled, Kyoutani steps forward and stops at Yahaba’s side, reaching out to take his nearest hand from the table where he leans.

“Yahaba should sleep,” Kyoutani says, and Yahaba finally looks over to him. “Long day - long week… let’s go to bed.”

Yahaba gazes back at Kyoutani before slowly nodding, turning towards the bed again and leading the way into the second room. Once the bed is within sight, Yahaba releases Kyoutani’s hand and reaches up to pull the crown from his head, stopping for a brief moment to look at it within his hands.

They don’t say anything when Yahaba drops it without a care, and once their eyes meet, Yahaba begins to make work of removing the armor from Kyoutani’s body again. Kyoutani holds his gaze the whole time, watching him intently until the last of it falls away to the floor beside the crown, and only the cloth he wears around his waist under the fur lining of his armor remains. Yahaba doesn’t pull his eyes away from Kyoutani’s however, and already he feels the chill in the air as Kyoutani begins to return the favor. 

He only pauses once in his movements when the tips of his claws brush Yahaba’s gloves, and Yahaba recognises the silent question. He doesn’t say anything about it, but he also doesn’t pull away when Kyoutani begins to remove the gloves as well. Stripped to his underwear within a matter of moments, Yahaba steps away from the pile of discarded clothes and takes Kyoutani’s hand once more, the raised and dead skin of his palm feeling odd pressed into Kyoutani’s, but he pulls him over and onto the bed again without a second thought. The sheets aren’t warm as they pull the covers over themselves, but Yahaba feels the heat of Kyoutani’s skin against his own and knows he won’t be cold that night despite wearing the least amount of clothing he’s ever had on for sleeping.

Yahaba rests his head onto the pillows, still facing Kyoutani, and he watches Kyoutani do the same. Their legs brush somewhere under the covers, and with the first bit of contact, Yahaba feels himself push closer into the warmth until he feels Kyoutani’s arms wrap around his waist. He feels his limbs grow weak and his body relax before closing his eyes and pushing his face into the warmth of Kyoutani’s neck, inhaling the scent of the forest on the man who holds him close. With nothing to say and nothing more to think of, Yahaba’s world grows dark as he drifts off to sleep.

He doesn’t dream - and if he did, he doesn’t remember it - as the next thing he knows, he’s awakened by the shattering of glass.

Sitting up immediately, startled by the sound, Yahaba looks around. The bedroom isn’t dark like he’d expected, instead sunlight streams in through the high windows and gives the walls an early morning glow that allows him to see clearly. Blinking away the sleepiness, Yahaba focuses on the doorway and immediately feels his body grow numb at what he sees.

“ _What_ is _this_?” Washijo hisses, looking absolutely appalled. Kyoutani slowly rises to sitting up beside Yahaba, and they both remain focused on the old man in the doorway.

Irihata looks pale from his place behind the head council member. “Washijo, think rationally here—”

“ _Rationally_?” He snaps, twisting to look back at Irihata. “What is wrong with this _kingdom_ of yours, Irihata?! Two kings now have become _filthy beast lovers_!”

“Washijo, please—”

“What kind of fool do you take me for?!” Washijo shouts, turning back to sneer at Yahaba and Kyoutani. “Did you really think I wouldn’t find out?! You - you’re _just like_ that sneaky bastard, Oikawa! And of course you are, how could I have not realized it?!” Washijo makes a sound that seems to be a cross between a growl and a gag of disgust. “He was your _teacher_! He must have taught you to be like this - to find something like that _animal_ to be attractive!”

Yahaba can’t breathe, the fire that engulfed Oikawa fresh in his mind now. Only this time, the image of Oikawa is becoming himself, and he fears that this time, his lover wouldn’t just be standing helplessly to the side; instead, his mind conjures an image of Kyoutani, a bloodied heap on the floor with gaping wounds in his flesh as he tries to crawl his way to where Yahaba burns. Shaking the smallest amount, Yahaba’s hand under the covers grabs hold of Kyoutani’s thigh and he doesn’t let go, needing the contact within his grasp.

Irihata is grabbing hold of Washijo, shouting over his incoherent ramblings of betrayal and disgust. “ _I will not let you kill another of my kings!_ ”

“ _Your kings are filthy, Irihata_!” Washijo shouts back, pushing at the other. “ _This kingdom deserves to burn! Seijou will fall for this betrayal_!”

At that declaration, Irihata immediately blasts Washijo back into the main room with a sudden burst of strong magic and silence is met again. Irihata pants from the effort, turning back to Yahaba and Kyoutani. “Get dressed and leave - get out of this kingdom now,” he commands, and when neither move, he scowls and shouts, “ _get out of here_!”

Quickly, Yahaba jumps out from under the covers and rushes to find the clothes Kyoutani had pulled from his body last night, hurrying to replace them all at once. Kyoutani joins him, grabbing his armor and restrapping the pieces back into place. A groan comes from the other room, and Irihata disappears to deliver another blow of the same spell - at least, Yahaba believes that is what he did from what he could sense.

Yahaba grabs his bag from the boxes of things he’d never unpacked and rushes out into the main room with Kyoutani at his side. He finds Irihata standing over Washijo, who’s groaning again and trying to push himself up from the floor of the room. By the cracks in the wall, Yahaba can only assume his body had crashed into it before collapsing to the floor. Irihata is panting still, and he glances back at them with a look of urgency.

Nodding, Yahaba takes a step towards the open doors before stopping and hurrying over to Oikawa’s table. He hears Kyoutani call him, but he doesn’t stop before rushing a shrinking spell and, with a wave of his hand, shifts the table and the contents upon it to a miniaturized version that would fit into the palm of his hand. Yahaba takes hold of it with shaking fingers and deposits everything into his bag before running back to Kyoutani, grabbing his arm and all but dragging him out of the room, just as Irihata sends another blast into Washijo.

Running down the halls, Yahaba makes his way to the stairs and nearly crashes into a servant when rounding a corner. Unable to form an apology, he waves to the servant and nearly trips his way down the stairs, Kyoutani catching hold of him and steadying him along the way. Yahaba keeps hold of Kyoutani’s arm as he runs down the next hall to find the main staircase, immediately running into Matsukawa and Iwaizumi.

“What’s happening?!” Matsukawa demands, holding Yahaba by the shoulders as Iwaizumi does the same for Kyoutani. “What was that burst of magic?!”

“Irihata,” Yahaba pants, shaking his head, “he… he and Washijo…”

Matsukawa and Iwaizumi’s expressions go from worry to shock and they exchange a look. “Did you grab the element?” Iwaizumi asks, and when Yahaba nods, he seems to relax. “We were letting you two sleep in - Watari is in town getting provisions, but it seems we need to leave now.”

“ _Damn it_ ,” Matsuakwa scowls, “I should have kept an eye on Washijo! I should have known he’d check on you…”

Yahaba shakes his head, “it’s okay, we… we were the ones who made it all too easy to figure out what was happening between us.”

Iwaizumi scoffs, “it doesn’t matter now, we need to leave!”

“What’s going on?” Someone calls, and they all turn to find Kindaichi hurrying towards them. “I… I felt a strong surge of magic just now?”

Matsukawa jumps forward, “Kindaichi, help me with holding off Washijo - if Irihata is using that much magic, he’s going to be exhaus—”

An explosion comes from the third floor, rocking the whole castle. They all turn to gape at where it had come from before Matsukawa points to the stairs.

“ _Get out of here, now_!” He shouts, and Iwaizumi immediately begins to run to the stairs. Kyoutani grabs Yahaba’s arm and pulls, but he stops to look at Matsukawa.

“You can’t fight him!” Yahaba argues, already feeling dread at the idea of leaving Matsukawa and Kindaichi behind. “He’s the head of the Magic Council, he’ll rip you to shreds!”

Matsukawa scowls, “get out of here, Yahaba, before he kills you.” Yahaba moves to argue again, but he cuts in before a single word can escape Yahaba’s lips. “You need to collect the elements in order to kill Hollow Body Phantom… Seijou will be fine.”

Yahaba shakes his head, but Kyoutani is pulling on him again and he can’t fight this time. So he uselessly begins to run, allowing Kyoutani to pull him along as he looks back at Matsukawa and Kindaichi. Matsukawa has his back to him, focusing on the quickly approaching and powerful source of magic. Kindaichi is watching him go, worry in his brow that Yahaba wishes wasn’t necessary. As he begins to descend the stairs, Kindaichi turns away and looks to where Matsukawa is focused until Yahaba cannot see them any longer.

Facing forward, Yahaba looks over the entrance hall and finds that the only way to describe what he sees is chaos. High borns and servants alike are running around, some screaming, some crying, while the walls around them begin to crack with the force of the magic beginning to be conjured on the second floor. Some have the sense to run from the castle, while others seem to be unable to move. Yahaba feels his legs grow weak from another surge of magic - he recognises Matsukawa’s magical feel within that blast - and if it weren’t for Kyoutani pulling him along, he would be among those unable to move from fear.

The panic around them lasts only a moment as they pass through, and soon the mid morning sun is beating down on their backs and Yahaba feels the cool air of an approaching winter season hit his face. Shivering, he focuses on where they are moving and finds Iwaizumi in the crowd ahead of them. Willing himself to ignore the fear in his heart, Yahaba quickens his pace and runs to where Iwaizumi is with Kyoutani at his side. Iwaizumi glances back to them when they catch up, nodding in acknowledgement before moving through the gates into the main village areas.

It’s clear the panic has spread to just outside the castle, while those further out are looking on in confusion to the castle. With a peak over his shoulder, Yahaba sees the smoke rising from the castle and wonders if anyone outside of the castle really knows what is happening. The three of them weave their way through the streets and around the curious onlookers, following after Iwaizumi to find Watari.

His lungs begin to burn and his legs begin to ache with the exertion of running so far when they find Watari within the market. He has several packs with him and a terrified expression on his face, and when he sees the three of them, a wave of relief seems to wash over him. 

“What’s happening?” He asks, and Iwaizumi takes one of the heavier bags from him to pull onto his own back. “What’s the castle on fire?”

Yahaba bites his lip, glancing to the merchants nearby and seeing their focus on him. “I… I’m sorry… Washijo, he—”

“Say no more,” Watari hurries to say, handing another pack off to Kyoutani. “We need to leave now, don’t we?” Without waiting for an answer, Watari turns to the nearest vendors and villagers. “I urge everyone to evacuate the immediate area - the castle is under attack and you need to find safety and shelter far away from here. Spread the word.”

Some of the people immediately grow frantic, but others only nod dumbly before turning to walk away, still gaping at the smoke coming from the castle. Watari looks back to Yahaba and is about to say something when they both feel it, along with at least half of the wizards there - a huge surge of magic, this time having the signature of what Yahaba now recognises as Washijo.

“Yeah, we’re definitely out of here,” Watari muses and Iwaizumi nods, beginning to hurry in the direction of the forest. Yahaba follows after, and Kyoutani and Watari hurry after him before they’re all running again.

Even once they’re on the outskirts of the main village and the houses become few and far between, and the population isn’t as large, the four of them don’t stop running. The few people they do pass seem unaware of the castle’s attack or that anything is happening, and watch the four run by with varying degrees of confusion.

Reaching the beginnings of the forest, they slow to a walk before stopping altogether under a thicket of trees. Panting, Yahaba falls back against a tree and tries to catch his breath.

“Ya… Yahaba,” Iwaizumi manages, and Yahaba looks over to him with a questioning look. “Is… is Air still… in your bag?”

Yahaba gulps, reaching for the bag to begin digging around. Using the smallest amount of magic possible to summon the shrunken statue, Yahaba pulls it out and returns it to its former size. The weight of it is somehow relaxing, and Yahaba breathes easy knowing it is still safe.

But then it shakes, and Yahaba looks hold on the frame of it before it pulls away, hovering between the four of them. They all watch as the Eastern Element of Air spins until a cyclone wraps itself around it, and immediately Yahaba drops down to grab hold of a root to keep from being blown away. He feels heat at his back and knows Kyoutani is crowding above him, and the feeling is comforting.

Just as quickly as the cyclone came, it ends abruptly not a minute later, and Yahaba slowly lifts his head, only to gawk at the immediate area around them.

The trees are shaken, some branches broken, and Iwiazumi and Watari are safe from where they held on for dear life. Kyoutani pulls away and looks around as well, but it’s obvious what is missing.

“What… what just happened?” Watari asks, and no one jumps to answer him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (I had a long two weeks where this wasn't getting written and I didn't have time, so doing a quick look over it of it, I see a lot of spelling and grammar mistakes. My bad, I'll fix it tomorrow maybe...)


	20. Travel North

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas to those who celebrate, and Happy Holidays :)

Yahaba sits on the rock with his head in his hands and elbows digging into his legs, the argument long forgotten as he drowns out Iwaizumi and Watari’s voices.

It has been a long two weeks since they left Seijou and, subsequently, lost the Eastern Element of Air.

Upon coming back to their senses after the cyclone disappeared, Yahaba had gone into a panic about the missing statue and had shoved Kyoutani away in his hurry to try to follow the wreckage that the twister left behind. There was minor damage done to the forest, barely a path to be made, but it was obvious enough that he was able to follow it for nearly a mile. By the time he tripped on a root, the others had caught up to him and were panting from having sprinted after him.

There had been a throbbing in his arms then, and Yahaba knew he must have used magic to make himself faster.

Iwaizumi was the one who had deemed it impossible to catch the runaway element, and Watari informed them later that night (miles away, where they’d made camp after continuing north on their original path) that the stories suggested that Air was not one to get involved with violence. At least, not without the other elements. So he had guessed that the reason the Eastern Element of Air suddenly left them was due to the violence conjuring up in the kingdom.

Somehow this made sense at the time, and Yahaba could only hope that they would find the statue where ever it had fled to. It however didn’t keep him from worrying incessantly that they were doomed and that the element Oikawa had worked so hard to get was to never be found again.

Either way, it wasn’t the only issue during their travels.

It became clear that Iwaizumi was, in fact, a leader of some sort with the way he took charge of leading them through the Dark Forest. Yahaba had figured it was better to listen to him than try to direct himself through the forest, this being Iwaizumi’s home after all, and Kyoutani kept quiet as well - Iwaizumi was his leader before and he appeared to have some respect for the other man.

Watari, it seemed, didn’t like to be told what to do.

Yahaba knew his friend fairly well after the years they’d spent in the castle together; it wasn’t very long in reality, but to him, it felt like forever. Watari is a good person, and was generally agreeable and kept to himself when people argued.

Something about Iwaizumi lit a spark in Watari though, and Yahaba felt like he didn’t know the other wizard as well as he’d thought.

He wasn’t too concerned in the first few days. Watari wasn’t confrontational or even that bad at first. But after they’d been attacked just over a week ago, his friend suddenly turned from slight sarcasm to full blown arguments whenever Iwaizumi said anything.

Yahaba rubs at his temples as he recalls the initial argument.

The first time they were attacked, it wasn’t by wizards like Yahaba had been expecting. It wasn’t even beasts that lived within the forest but weren’t a part of Iwaizumi’s tribe.

It was fucking pixies.

Of all the things to come across, it had to be pixies.

Pixies were mischievous little creatures who loved to mess with humans. At least, that’s how the stories always painted them to be. Turns out, pixies were deadly and hated humans of all kinds, and if you stepped foot within their territory, they would attack without hesitation.

Being that the part of the forest they’d been traveling in was just as lost to Iwaizumi in terms of understanding the correct way to go, it made sense to Yahaba that even the leader of the Dark Forest beast tribe didn’t know pixies lived there. Watari on the other hand was livid that they had to even deal with the swarm of sparkling, poisonous creatures.

“ _How_ do you not _know_ what lives in your forest!?” He had shouted over the buzzing of the pixies attack, while simultaneously trying to keep the creatures at bay.

“ _Excuse me_ for not owning the whole _damned forest_!” Iwaizumi had responded just as loudly, sending an entire group of pixies into a tree with a swing of his arm. Some had attached themselves to Iwaizumi’s other arm, and he was having a hard time shaking them off.

Watari had scowled and blasted away more of the pixies. “We need to get out of here!”

“What does it look like we’re trying to do?!” Iwaizumi argued, scraping the pixies from his arm, their little claws leaving scars behind as they’re pulled from his flesh.

Yahaba had felt the stinging on his face as he, too, fought to keep the pixies from digging their claws into him. Kyoutani had growled about something at his side before he pulled away a pixie that hung from Yahaba’s cheek, and Yahaba had grown dizzy from the magic left behind in the little scrapes.

When he’d tried to use his own magic again to blast away another swarm of incoming pixies, he’d felt the tremors in his arms and his vision began to swim. He tells himself even now it was because of the toxic dust the pixies gave off entering his bloodstream from the cuts and that there was no other reason for him to suddenly be unable to use magic, but Kyoutani had noticed something was off even before he’d hit the ground. Luckily, no one questioned it then, and with the panic Kyoutani had at seeing Yahaba collapse, the other two pulled themselves together.

Yahaba still has no idea how they got out of it alive, he only remembers waking up within his tent some hours later, Kyoutani holding one of his hands as he sits by his side. His glove had been off, and Kyoutani’s claw gently traced the scars of blackness spreading over his hand. He didn’t say anything when Yahaba sat up, and he didn’t protest when Yahaba pulled his hand away to replace the glove. Kyoutani had only stared at him with tired eyes and Yahaba kept his mouth shut in response.

The following day, no one said anything as they continued north, and everyone was more careful about making sure they weren’t wandering into the territory of another hostile creature. At night, when they rested, Yahaba would sneak away when no one would notice to try again with his magic.

All that he was capable of was minor levitation spells and sparks of angry magic before he felt his arm tremble and his hand lose control until there wasn’t any magic to manipulate.

Yahaba prayed to the thirteen gods they wouldn’t have to fight again, at least not until he had his magic back, and he avoided Kyoutani’s eyes full of worry and question.

Desperate to keep from worrying his friends, Yahaba never spoke, even when Iwaizumi and Watari would begin to argue about which way north was or whether they’d been going in circles. He couldn’t bring himself to tell them stop, hopeful they’d distract themselves with their arguments enough that no one would look at him.

But Kyoutani was always looking at him, and nothing would change that.

On one of the nights, a gust of wind threatened to put out their fire - built only to keep the chill in the air from freezing them, a sure sign that they were getting closer to the north - and Watari grew panicked. But Iwaizumi waved away his worries and reached out as though he were to pet the wind.

In response, the wind had shaped itself into an animal; a wolf, with glowing white eyes and fluffy fur that moved to its own gust of air.

“ _Refrothe_ ,” Iwaizumi had said, but Yahaba only felt confused. Iwaizumi seemed to notice, because he chuckled as he continued to pet the wolf. “A whisper wolf…”

Yahaba didn’t know what that was, but at the word of ‘whisper’, he heard what he hadn’t bothered to notice before - immediately, with the wind carrying itself around the four of them, light voices saying things over one another came to his ears. Whispered words fill the space they sat in, and Yahaba found he couldn’t focus on any specific string of words.

But Iwaizumi seemed to know what to do, leaning forward to listen to the wolf and it’s message. “Hanamaki is with Matsukawa,” he had said, and the light whispers that surrounded Yahaba in a rapidly growing buzz of sound suddenly were gone. “The kingdom has fallen, and the people of Seijou aren’t sure what to do… they’re saying that some believe Washijo, while others don’t care if it’s true or not. They still follow you, not wanting to lose another king to something stupid.”

Yahaba had been in shock. “How do you know that?”

Watari had chuckled at him. “Yahaba, it’s a whisper wolf; don’t you know what a whisper wolf is?”

“No…”

“It’s a creature made by Air,” Watari explained, “used to carry messages to specific people when you’re not sure where they are. Even though you don’t know where someone is, the wolf will always find the intended person for the message. The wolf will carry every message it’s ever sent, but if you know what it’s for, you’ll hear only the message meant for you.”

Yahaba had gaped between them all before looking to the fading wolf. He could almost hear Hanamaki’s voice, but the other whispers are slowly returning, drowning out the words about his kingdom and their people.

“Hanamaki is saying Matsukawa and Kindaichi are safe,” Iwaizumi continued on, “but Irihata is injured. Kunimi is doing what he can, but they’re not sure if he’ll make it.”

Yahaba gulped and felt he shouldn’t ask, but he needed to know. “And Washijo…?”

Iwaizumi’s face became dark. “Driven out of the kingdom, but… people are beginning to leave to find other kingdoms… they’re losing their faith in Seijou.”

He hadn’t liked that response, but Kyoutani reached over and patted his shoulder. “Not all people leave,” he had said, “most stay. Believe in Yahaba and feel king die for nothing.”

Yahaba didn’t really feel better, but he smiled anyway. “Thank you,” he’d mumbled, and with another gust of wind, the wolf vanished. Their night ended in relative silence, Watari and Iwaizumi murmuring between themselves about what this meant for their people.

Yahaba couldn’t bring himself to join them, and had turned in for the night, not even willing himself to practice his magic.

Now, days later they’ve stopped, Watari holding out a map he’d brought of the Dark Forest to further prove his point to Iwaizumi while the other pointed to the sky. Yahaba isn’t really sure what the issue is this time, but his feet hurt, and his arms have been shaking since he’d tried his magic again last night, and the only thing keeping it from being noticable is if he holds them in place.

So that’s what he does; pressing his chin down into his palms, Yahaba feels the trembling in his jaw coming from his hands, but knows the actual movement isn’t obvious. Still, even before he’d sat down, Kyoutani had watched him like he always does, and Yahaba knows Kyoutani saw the shaking when Yahaba exposed his arms from under his cloak.

“Yahaba not doing well,” Kyoutani whispers as he steps closer, kneeling before Yahaba. “Yahaba talk…?”

Yahaba shakes his head once, squeezing his eyes shut. “It’s nothing, Kyoutani, don’t worry about it,” he says through clenched teeth, and he hears Kyoutani shift over the frosted leaves on the ground.

The frosted ground was enough to tell Yahaba that they were nearing the northern border of the Dark Forest, and soon they’d be in the lands of snow and ice. He opens his eyes, looking over Kyoutani in his limited clothing and wonders if he’ll be able to keep warm in the Frozen North.

He’d worry about Iwaizumi too, but the man had been just as annoying as Watari since the pixie attack.

“Yahaba shake,” Kyoutani mumbles, reaching out to gently touch the inner bend of Yahaba’s elbow. He knows Kyoutani can feel the tremors now, and he wants to pull away. “Shake since… since the king…”

Yahaba gulps, remembering the night of the execution. Kyoutani isn’t wrong - upon using his magic that night to send Matsukawa out of his room, he’d begun to tremble, just like now.

He opens his mouth to answer, but pauses when he hears nothing behind them. Picking his head up and setting his hands down in their shaking mess, Yahaba turns to look over at Watari and Iwaizumi. Neither were facing him; instead, they were focused on the large creature looming over them.

The creature had similarities to a man despite its large size - a head, a torso, two arms and two legs, a face with sunken eyes and a gaping mouth. But it gave off a chill in the air, its body a glowing light blue and looking to be shaped out of frozen rocks. The chill itself seemed to seep from its body in white, foggy clouds, which in turn brought specks of white to hang in the air.

Its movements are slow as it turns to look around the clearing at them all, and the frozen rocks above the sunken eyes move down in a rumble as though it were blinking before they opened again. Yahaba would almost think it comical with how it dumbly looks over them before taking on an aggressive expression and unhinging its jaw, letting out a mighty roar of icy breath.

Yahaba had no idea glacitors could be so big.

“ _Run_!” Watari screams, and no one argued as they took off in the opposite direction. Yahaba could barely focus on the trees, scraping past them and hopeful that the bark that tries to catch on his clothes won’t snag on his cloak as it flutters behind him.

The frost has hardened the ground, ensuring that any would be mud won’t slip out under his feet. That didn’t stop raised roots from trees from tripping him up, but Yahaba caught himself any time he did get tripped up and would just keep running with the other four.

Behind them, the ground shakes and trees creak as they are pushed aside, the glacitor bounding after them and crushing the trees in its path. It’s as slow as it was when looking around at them, but Yahaba knows that comparatively, the monster’s longer legs will allow for it to catch up soon, especially with the trees getting closer together and harder to pass by.

Making a wrong turn through some of the trees, Yahaba struggles to push himself past the set he’d tried to leap through until someone grabs hold of his arm and he’s pulled along into a run again. Yahaba barely has to check to know it’s Kyoutani, and his hold on Yahaba’s arm sends a warmth through his body as well as a spark of new energy to run that much faster.

He’s not certain of where Watari or Iwaizumi have gone, trees whizzing past the two of them as they hurry away from the glacitor. Yahaba grows concerned that they’d never find them when he spots the end of the treeline, a bright light shining down in what could be a clearing. Kyoutani is running straight for it, and while some part of Yahaba thinks they shouldn’t be out in the open like that, he doesn’t stop to pull Kyoutani away and further back into the forest.

So they break the treeline and come out into a clearing with the lightest powder of snow. Nearby, Yahaba sees movement and he glances over to see Iwaizumi having come out of the trees as well, running out as far as he could. He sees the two of them, and they all hurry towards one another while maintaining their same path of getting away from the earth shaking monster.

“Where’s Watari?!” Yahaba yells, breath catching as they run alongside Iwaizumi.

He goes to answer but suddenly they slip and glide across the ground. Looking down, Yahaba notes the thin snow had been covering a frozen lake and they had just skidded out onto it.

“Shit,” Iwaizumi mutters, trying to remain balanced. “Where are we…?”

Yahaba looks around, noticing that the edge of the forest they’d come from is all that is left of the trees. Where they stand, a lake has formed, and a river comes from within to their left - the West - and with a glance to the right, a cliff hangs where the water begins to rush, no longer frozen. Just East of them is the edge of the world, and Yahaba hadn’t realized they’d been going up in elevation while traveling through the forest. He can sort of see the ocean beyond the cliff however, and he knows somewhere out there is the Isle of Iron. They couldn’t be that high above sea level, but the edge of a cliff still sits within sight.

And there they stood in the middle of the large lake, at the beginning of the Frozen North. Yahaba gapes at what lies ahead of them, large mountains silhouetted in the north he’d never seen before, and a world covered in white unlike anything he’s ever imagined.

Before he could lose himself to the sight of the winter wonderland, the booming and crashing of the glacitor catches up to them, and Yahaba spins around to see the monster crash through, roaring another frozen breath at them.

He’s not quite sure what to do, and he feels himself shake - is it from the cold, from fear, or is it from his lack of magic? Yahaba isn’t sure anymore, the chill of the air around them suddenly seeping into his skin.

“Yahaba, do something,” Iwaizumi says, and Yahaba whips around to gawk at him. “Use your magic - Oikawa trained you, I know he taught you defensive magic!”

He couldn’t respond, and he didn’t have time to either when the glacitor took another earth quaking step towards them. Yahaba felt the tremors in his hands, tried to make any kind of magic come from his fingertips, even the smallest of spells.

But nothing happened, and the glacitor steps out onto the ice.

Immediately, the frozen water cracks, and it’s clear this lake is deep even to it’s shore edge. The leg of the glacitor plummets into the water where it broke the ice, and with it becoming off balanced, they watch the creature fall further into the water, and the resounding splash sends the ice they stand upon up, breaking it into pieces. Yahaba nearly slips off his section of the ice, falling to his knees and trying to keep from falling into the water.

The lake, being directly next to a cliff, has a fast growing current. Where they stood, the water was capable of being calm, but because of the glacitor’s fall and the waves that came crashing over the water, Yahaba and his two companions were being swept along to the cliff.

They were being pushed towards the waterfall to their deaths.

“ _Yahaba_!” Iwaizumi screams, “ _do something_!”

Yahaba is unable to do anything, but he tries and he pushes with all that he can on his magic. But nothing comes, not even a little spark, and he looks back at Kyoutani and Iwaizumi.

Iwaizumi is holding onto the edges of his ice block, looking around frantically for something to stop their movement. Kyoutani is watching Yahaba, worry on his face as Yahaba tries to use magic again and again to no avail.

Turning back, Yahaba sees the water begin to rush and feels the pull on his block as he gets closer to the waterfall. Ahead of them, the glacitor thrashes out of the water in an attempt to keep from falling, but the water was too much and it’s pushed past the edge and over the waterfall. It’s thrashing pushes back waves towards them, but it only delays their movement forward for a brief moment.

Feeling shame at not being able to use his magic, Yahaba crumbles and closes his stinging eyes, his whole body shaking under his distress, waiting for the moment his ice block goes over and his stomach remains suspended as his body falls to the ground below.

But it doesn’t come, and Yahaba slowly opens his eyes again. The rushing water around them has frozen over, and Yahaba pushes himself up to look around.

At the water’s edge by the treeline, Watari sits on his knees with his hands outstretched over the frozen water, looking exhausted before collapsing over. Trying to catch his breath, Yahaba looks back to Kyoutani and Iwaizumi, both of whom were looking at Watari in surprise.

Carefully, Yahaba pushes himself to stand on the ice before hurrying his way over to Watari. Behind him, he hears the other two do the same, and he drops to his knees in the powdery snow at Watari’s side.

“Watari, are you okay?” He asks, pulling his friend into his arms.

“ _Ugh_ , you’re wet,” Watari moans, pushing him away. Yahaba checks over himself and notes that he was right, the water had gotten his clothes a little wet, but in the panic of the moment, he hadn’t noticed. He sits up, rubbing at his head with a groan. “Why would you guys go into the clearing? Glacitors are stupid, it wouldn’t have known where you went if you got out of its path and hid among the trees.” Watati shakes his head before looking to Yahaba with concern. “What was that, Yahaba? Why didn’t you use your magic? You could have frozen that lake no problem…”

Yahaba goes silent, uncertain of how to answer.

Iwaizumi grunts in agreement, crossing his arms. “What the hell is going on?”

“I…”

“Yahaba…?” Watari starts, but he trails off in his concern.

“Why aren’t you using your magic?” Iwaizumi snaps, and Yahaba shrinks back. “Why would you let us almost die?”

“ _Back off_ ,” Kyoutani growls, standing between Yahaba and Iwaizumi. “Yahaba no try kill us!”

“Then what the hell is happening?!” Iwaizumi shouts, “I don’t care what you feel for him, Kyoutani - Yahaba almost got us killed!”

“Yahaba no bring _olain_ to chase us!” Kyoutani argues, “Yahaba just… Yahaba was…”

Watari leans around Kyoutani’s leg, trying to look at Yahaba. “What’s going on…?”

Gulping, Yahaba shakes his head and pulls himself to his feet, ripping away his glove. Kyoutani stands back, watching Yahaba in surprise. “ _This_ is what’s going on!” He explains, showing the blackened scars of his hand to Watari and Iwaizumi. Watari slowly pushes himself to stand as well, gawking at the sight of Yahaba’s hand. Iwaizumi only looks confused. “I… I have been having trouble with my magic since Oikawa’s execution,” Yahaba quietly explains, and the tremors start again, the shaking seeming to alarm Watari and Iwaizumi. “Since the pixies attacked us, I… haven’t been able to use any magic… not really…”

Pulling his hand closer to his chest, Yahaba holds it close and tries to stop the shaking, closing his eyes and hanging his head. He isn’t sure what they’ll say, but Yahaba doesn’t want to look at them as the information is fully absorbed.

“Why didn’t you say something?” Watari quietly asks, and Yahaba flinches at the question. “If we had known, we… we could have done something sooner…?”

Iwaizumi scoffs and Yahaba hears the sound of someone getting hit. “Don’t keep shit like this from us, Kyoutani - you obviously knew.”

“No,” Kyoutani grunts, “Yahaba no tell you, so Kyoutani no tell you.”

“It’s dangerous to keep this type of information from people, Kyoutani!” Watari argues.

“Now Yahaba is a liability,” Iwaizumi adds, and Yahaba flinches again - he knows he messed up. “Watari, how much magic are you capable of?”

“I… I was at a level just under a top tier…?” Watari answers, while Yahaba opens his eyes and stares at his feet in shame.

“What does that mean?” He shuffles away, listening to Watari try to explain to Iwaizumi the different levels of wizardry magic.

Kyoutani is following him, he can tell that much. “So basically, I’m… okay at magic?”

“Okay isn’t good enough,” Iwaizumi sighs, and Kyoutani takes hold of Yahaba’s arm. He looks up at Kyoutani, the burning in his nose getting worse.

“Yahaba no liability,” Kyoutani whispers, and Yahaba sniffles uselessly. “Yahaba get magic back - take time…”

Yahaba shakes his head, but he leans closer and pushes his face into Kyoutani’s neck. “I don’t want to be useless…”

Kyoutani’s skin is warm despite how little he wears, and he wraps his arms around Yahaba. “Yahaba never useless…”

The warmth from Kyoutani seems to seep into Yahaba’s clothes and remove the iced over wet patches, and Yahaba sighs at the feeling. He knows it’s most likely not true, but he feels the warmth all the way to his numb toes and Yahaba doesn’t want to pull away.

However, he hears a sound from the waterfall under the argument that cropped up between Iwaizumi and Watari, and he has to pull away to look over at it. It takes a moment, but soon the sound comes again. Kyoutani is staring over there as well, and Yahaba knows that means he’s not hallucinating it.

“Guys?” He calls, but Watari is still trying to argue that his magic is better than most. “Guys…?” Iwaizumi scoffs at Watari’s words and more or less says how unimpressed he is. Growing impatient, Yahaba removes himself from Kyoutani’s arms completely and rounds on the other two. “ _Stop fucking arguing and listen to me_!”

They’re gaping at him just in time for the glacitor to rise from the waterfall, screaming it’s ice breath once again and Yahaba is pulled away by Kyoutani at the sudden appearance. Backing up to where Watari and Iwaizumi are, Yahaba huddles close to Kyoutani and stares at the monster in shock.

Part of it’s ice rock head is chipped away, but the thing is still moving. It’s sunken eyes are focused on them, and Yahaba fears this won’t end well.

“Watari, do something!” Iwaizumi shouts, and Watari scoffs.

“Oh, _now_ you—”

“ _Stop arguing and do something, Watari_!” Yahaba snaps, and just as the glacitor finishes climbing back up the cliff, something bounds past them.

No one moves as they watch the dark form slam into the monster, and once it comes back to land in front of them, they all turn to watch as the chest of the glacitor cracks open. Slowly, the ice creature begin to sway back until it’s heavy weight is pulled by gravity. It’s gone just as quickly as it had returned.

They now focus on the dark figure that had come to their aid, and Yahaba notes the black fur before the figure stands. It’s a fur cloak, judging by the way the hood is pushed back to show the wild, unkempt hair of the man standing before them. As he turns, Yahaba realizes this man is no wizard, but a beast - and judging by his warm attire, he’s a beast of the north.

More specifically the leader of the Frozen North’s beast tribe, the purple and crimson marks on his face standing out against his pale skin. He’s smirking at them, and Yahaba feels immediate recognition.

“You’re,” he starts to murmur, and the man takes on a look of interest. “You’re ‘One’...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In hindsight, I don’t think I kept Watari in character... but there is a reason :P


	21. One

‘One’ turns fully to them, a laugh on his lips. “You know me, Wizard?”

Yahaba hesitates. “You’re… the first beast who was captured by the Magic Council. You’re what started the experiments - gifted to Prince Kozume.”

Another laugh. “I believe he is _King_ Kozume now,” a shake of his head, “but he hates that title. Feels undeserving of it.”

Gulping, Yahaba shifts a little closer. “Why are you… free?”

‘One’ frowns at this, his expression growing dark. “You ask a lot of questions, Wizard. Who are you?”

Iwaizumi pushes forward then, “this is King Yahaba of Seijou; I am Iwaizumi—” and then the words are unknown to Yahaba. Yahaba looks between the two beasts as Iwaizumi speaks, focusing on ‘One’ in the end.

‘One’s expression shifts just a fraction, coming off as suspicious yet curious. He responds to Iwaizumi, his words coming out harsher sounding than anything Yahaba has heard from Iwaizumi and Kyoutani when they speak in their language.

Iwaizumi clicks his tongue, “your words are strange…”

“Could say the same about your’s, King of Forest,” ‘One’ answers. “Wizard language seems to be our best option; I didn’t realize your land’s words were that different. You’re only south of us, after all.”

Watari makes a soft noise of understanding. “The dialect is different for tribes across the world,” he mumbles, and Yahaba glances back to him with a questioning look.

‘One’ hums in thought, “that’s one way to put it. Seems Wizard language is the same everywhere?”

“Apparently,” Iwaizumi grunts, but Yahaba frowns; he’d argue this, but even with slightly different dialects in the kingdoms, he couldn’t pinpoint any examples. After all, he hasn’t been to any other parts of the world than Seijou.

“Then allow me to introduce myself in a way you lot can better understand,” ‘One’ clears his throat, and Iwaizumi narrows his eyes. “I am Kuroo, King of Snow.”

“King of Snow…?” Yahaba asks, his brow furrowing. Kyoutani shifts slightly, as though he is coming to stand before Yahaba.

Iwaizumi nods, shifting his weight around as well, “he’s the leader of the snow tribe…”

“For my people, it translates better as ‘king’ than ‘leader’,” Kuroo explains, crossing his arms. “You said you were... _hurbasc despavare_ \- to me, it’s similar to _hulbasik depafair_ , and that means King of Forest.”

“Forest Leader to me,” Iwaizumi states, nodding to Kuroo. “Why are you here on the border? Isn’t your tribe further into the north?”

Kuroo grins, “King Kozume sent me on my way; mentioned something about people needing help here at the forest edge.”

“Your people aren’t supposed to be so close to the forest,” Iwaizumi argues, and Yahaba watches Kyoutani shift that much closer to Iwaizumi.

“And _you_ shouldn’t be crossing this river,” Kuroo counters, pointing to the lake the river that travels into the forest. “Only _imsessim konchae_ can come close to my lands.”

Iwaizumi scoffs (even Kyoutani reacts a little, the muscles in his back twitching at the mention of these unknown words), his sharp teeth becoming more prominent as he scowls at Kuroo. “ _Insessin komshae_? Really? That’s who you made peace with after all these years?”

“Sugawara was a convincing man before he was taken,” Kuroo shrugs, his jaw shifting as though he is trying to keep from grinding his teeth. “Unlike you, Iwaizumi.”

Yahaba feels as though he’s walked into the middle of some kind of war.

“What is going on?” Watari asks, and everyone turns to him. Kyoutani gives a very small shake of his head, but Watari seems to miss it. “Why are you two acting like there’s some kind of turf war?”

Iwaizumi slowly turns back to Kuroo. “Because the snow tribe and the forest tribe _are_ at war.”

Kuroo rolls his eyes, “hardly call this a war when the Wizards have us both held hostage - which were you again? Number four?”

Iwaizumi leans forward at this, a growl coming from his lips. Kyoutani gives a soft one as well, looking prepared for a fight. “Big words from _One_ ,” Kyoutani counters, and Yahaba grows uneasy when he sees Kuroo begin to crouch in preparation of attack.

“Who’s this, Iwaizumi?” Kuroo questions, “your little _daseve_?”

“It’s _desava_ \- is your brain completely frozen?” Iwaizumi replies, and Yahaba can tell this will get out of hand if no one stops them.

Pushing past Iwaizumi and Kyoutani, Yahaba stands before Kuroo and holds his hands out. “Please, ignore these two,” Kuroo’s angry expression drops to instead look surprised at Yahaba’s bold statement. “They’re helping me with the Hollow Body Phantom and finding the Northern Element of Water is the only reason we’ve come to your land,” Yahaba continues, and Kuroo’s brow furrows.

“Hollow Body Phantom…?”

Yahaba tries to think back, wincing as he tries the word, “ _yo… voisure_?” It doesn’t seem right, but Kuroo’s expression becomes appalled.

“ _Yovoisure_...?” Kuroo shakes his head, “not possible. That monster is dead.”

“It really isn’t,” Yahaba replies, gesturing to his still uncovered hand and the scars there. “I’ve faced it - a part of it, and… well…”

Kuroo gapes at him, slowly stepping closer to look at Yahaba’s hand. Kyoutani crowds behind Yahaba, growling again. Kuroo pauses, looking between Yahaba and Kyoutani with a questioning look.

Pursing his lips, Yahaba glances back to Kyoutani over his shoulder. “Knock it off,” he mutters between his teeth, and Kyoutani glares back at him.

Kuroo’s laughing now, and they both look back to him. “So the _daseve hulbasik_ has claimed a Wizard? And the supposed King of Seijou at that?”

Yahaba has no idea what he just called Kyoutani, but the responding growl from both Kyoutani and Iwaizumi tells him it’s not exactly a good thing - at least, that’s what he thinks. “Look, my relationship with Kyoutani doesn’t matter right now. What does matter is the Hollow Bo—,” Yahaba pauses, reconsiders his words, “the _yovoisure_ and the amount of people that will die if we don’t do something.”

“I see,” Kuroo murmurs, glancing to Yahaba’s hand again. “And do you know where the shadow is? Or even where the storm is?” Kuroo scoffs a little, “if it’s anywhere near the north, then I’ll be more concerned.”

Biting his lip, Yahaba tries to think of how he could show Kuroo the Hollow Body Storm’s location when he recalls the table. He’d shrunken Oikawa’s map and stored it into his bag before running from Washijo - a last minute decision that had resulted in his hands shaking the entire time they ran. Gulping, he reaches into his bag and digs around, trying to will the table to meet his hand.

He feels something connect with his palm before pulling it out, opening his hand to reveal the miniaturized table. Yahaba hopes Oikawa’s magic is still connected to the table and turns to Watari, hopeful his friend knows the spell.

“Watari, I…” He’s not sure how to pose the question, stepping to his friend and holding out his hand. “I can’t…”

Watari’s eyes shift between Yahaba and his outstretched hand, a worried look crossing his face. “I think I know the reversal spell,” he quietly says, taking the tiny table into his hands. Licking his chapped lips, Watari focuses on the table before bending down to place it in the snow.

It takes a moment, but soon Yahaba can feel the building of Watari’s magic before the table starts to shift in size. He steps back, watching with bated breath as the table returns to its original state, pieces still in place and the dark cloud looming over the southern half of Seijou.

Only things have shifted a little, and Yahaba steps closer to get a better idea of where things have moved.

There are troops from each kingdom that have changed position, but the same could not be said for Seijou. The piece that represents their kingdom’s castle is cracked, with some parts coming away and, interestingly enough, the troops to represent their warriors and top tiers have all fallen onto their sides.

Not only that, but in the center of their world, Yahaba notes something he hadn’t before - the piece that represents the Magic Council’s base has five separate joining pieces, and one of them is cracked.

Feeling nervous, Yahaba focuses on the dark cloud that seems to have only grown in size since he’d last seen it. The beast figures within the Dark Forest have shifted, though they don’t seem to have an exact location of where to go. Even now, one piece seems to tremble as though it can’t decide what the real location of it’s marked intended is. Beside it, however, are two tiny figures that Yahaba’s never seen before.

There were four other figures he’s never seen before either at the lake they stood now, and Yahaba’s breath hitches as realizes what it means; Oikawa had figures for the people of his court. He’s not sure where they had been - possibly hidden in the castle, or enchanted to only appear if someone left the main kingdom borders - but there they stood. Leaning closer, Yahaba realizes these tiny figures, no bigger than his thumb nail, resembled each of them. He could almost make out the sweep of his hair or the unusual coloring of Kyoutani’s.

And standing beside the four very tiny figures is a beast figure. Unlike the other figures, this one knew where it was, where it needed to be, standing solid and looming over the miniature figures of Yahaba and his friends.

It felt like some kind of warning, one he wasn’t certain of. Shifting his gaze, Yahaba watches Watari pull himself up to look over the table as well, exhaustion clear on his face.

“Thank you, Watari,” he whispers, and his friend smiles awkwardly.

Turning around, Yahaba gestures to the dark cloud and waits for Kuroo to approach the map.

Kuroo steps cautiously past the other two beasts and peers down at the table top. “The storm was smaller before we left,” Yahaba explains, pointing to a specific section of the cloud. “That was all there was, but it’s moving and growing—”

“And headed north,” Kuroo grumbles, eyeing his way up the map to the white section. “Is that… us?”

“Oikawa enchanted the map to know the location of everything he felt he needed to know,” Yahaba explains, and Kuroo narrows his eyes. “Not all of it seems to be accurate, but it’s pretty close.”

Taking in a deep breath, Kuroo’s eyes sweep over the map and takes it all in. “Kenma talks about Oikawa sometimes… they only met once, but he always seemed weary of the man…”

Yahaba isn’t sure who Kenma is, but the name sounds familiar.

“Said it was a shame when he died,” Kuroo continued on, slowly turning to look at Yahaba. “He enchanted this?”

Yahaba frowns, uncertain as to why Kuroo would question Oikawa’s ability, “yes…?”

Kuroo huffs and shakes his head, looking over at the treeline. “I’ll help you find _Lome_ , then you need to leave the north as soon as you can.”

“Why?” Yahaba catches Watari’s stern look and coughs. “I mean, thank you… but… why do we need to leave?”

“Because Lord Nekomata was made to order Nekoma Top Tiers to keep an eye out for you, _your majesty_ ,” he drones, sending a leveled gaze to Yahaba, “and to bring you to their king, dead or alive.”

Yahaba’s mouth feels very dry as Kuroo steps past him, and his stomach drops a little as the words continue to register.

Watari is gaping at Yahaba now, and Kyoutani and Iwaizumi seem tense when he glances in their direction. “Yahaba, I don’t know if it’s safe to continue anymore,” Watari nervously says, and Yahaba swings back around to look at him. He’s not able to meet Yahaba’s eyes, staring down at the table. “If the top tiers in Nekoma are tasked with finding you—”

“They’re tasked with finding the King of Seijou,” Yahaba cuts him off, and Watari goes silent. Grabbing his bag again, Yahaba begins to dig around until he finds what he’s looking for. Pulling out his winter robes, Yahaba swings the thick fur over his shoulders and pulls the hood over his head. “If no one knew me when I was a top tier, it’s possible they still won’t know what I look like. I mean,” he shrugs a little, “at least not completely; my portrait was never made and I was only king for a day.”

Watari hesitates, eyebrows drawn up in worry before he slowly nods. “We should still be careful…”

“Of course,” Yahaba gestures to the table now, “we have a long way to go before we find the Northern Element of Water - shrink this again so we can keep moving.” Watari frowns at the command and Yahaba flinches, “uh… please shrink it again?”

Rolling his eyes, Watari focuses back on the table and begins to shrink it down once more. It’s not as fast or as efficient as when Yahaba had done so all those weeks ago, but soon it’s returned to the portable size and Yahaba stoops to pick it up and place it back within his bag. His hand bumps something from within, and Yahaba pauses as he tried to determine what it is.

The cool metal band is familiar enough, and Yahaba pulls out the headband he’d worn nearly everyday since Oikawa named him a top tier. Staring at the single blue gem in the center, Yahaba recalls what Oikawa had told him when he first presented the band to him.

“ _It was mine once, and I trust that anything I pass on to you will be treated with the same care I myself have given…_ ”

Yahaba frowns to himself, finally realizing what Oikawa had meant; and he had failed that trust. Oikawa gave him the kingdom and he lost it within a day. Sighing, Yahaba pushes back his hood and places the band around his head again, his hair falling back into place as if the band had never left his head.

Watari looks too drained to say anything, focusing instead on the ground when they turn to follow Kuroo. The beast is standing at the middle of the frozen lake, watching them with a frown.

“Are you even going to keep warm, _hulbasik depafair_?” Kuroo questions when they finally make it to his side, and Yahaba looks back to Iwaizumi in confusion.

Iwaizumi scoffs, “it rarely snows where we live, _despavare presse_.”

Kuroo smirks, as though he had expected as much. “You’ll freeze the moment we cross this lake - the north is unforgiving to those who do not prepare.”

Iwaizumi looks ready to argue, but Watari makes a noise of agreement. “I kind of figured as much,” he yawns, pulling out a winter robe from his own bag, “which is why I packed robes for each of us in the bags your carrying.”

Yahaba watches Kyoutani as he curiously pulls the bag he has slung over his back and reaches inside until he finds the fur and pulls it out. Iwaizumi does the same, giving the fur cloak a narrowed look of distaste.

“It’s better than freezing to death,” Yahaba tries, getting both men to look at him rather than the robes. Kyoutani seems reluctant but he swings the robe over his shoulders, the ashy brown fur settling nicely over his body and looking to provide the warmth that he had been lacking before. Iwaizumi hesitates longer before sighing heavily and swinging the dark brown winter cloak over himself as well, latching it into place around his neck. 

Watari coughs a little, gaining their attention. “Uh… there are sleeves on those… you know, to keep your arms warm…?”

Iwaizumi’s face goes dark at the mention of anything covering his arms, but Kyoutani looks curiously down at his robe. Yahaba bites his lip to keep from smiling before moving closer to help Kyoutani pull his arms through the sleeves. With his hands free, Kyoutani lifts his arms and looks over the fur that covers him for warmth in slight awe.

Kuroo huffs a laugh, “makes it easier to fight, that’s for sure. The Wizards aren’t fools about this clothing thing.”

Yahaba glances to Iwaizumi when Kuroo turns to lead the way across the lake and into the snowy tundra, and is surprised when he sees Iwaizumi push his own hands through the sleeves without a second thought. He pulls his gaze away before Iwaizumi notices, and begins to follow Kuroo without another thought.

The first step off of the lake is met with the crunching of snow, and already Yahaba can feel the cold seeping into his boots. They weren’t made for this sort of weather, but he doesn’t have much time or any other options to change this now. Taking a deep breath, Yahaba and the others continue to follow the King of Snow further into the Frozen North.

It’s clear soon after that speaking may be too much of an effort when focusing on where they’re going, and Yahaba soon pulls the hood back over his head to try to block out the biting winds that press pins and needles into his cheeks. The tips of his fingers are quick to become numb, even after he pushed his hands into the deep pockets of his winter robe, and the cold seeping into his boots is enough to make him feel as though his feet have fallen off. Yahaba’s amazed at how quickly things shifted to the freezing temperatures just by crossing a border of their lands, but complaining about it now will do nothing.

He can tell the others feel the same without even checking, their silence and clattering teeth telling him all he needs to know. The silence is welcomed, but Yahaba wishes something could fill the air beside the icy winds and his thoughts of how long it will be before he’s warm again.

Yahaba’s not sure of how long they walked for, and he begins to feel as though the temperature has dropped significantly before he’s realized how dark it’s become, stumbling blinding after the black fur of Kuroo’s own robes. He nearly runs head first into the beast before he turns to look at them all.

“We’re close to a town,” he states, and Yahaba gapes up at him. “You all look frozen already - we’re stopping there for the night,” Kuroo grunts as he turns back and continues to lead the way.

He doesn’t see any sign of a town, but he can’t bring himself to argue around his chattering teeth. So instead he follows without question and focuses on making sure he doesn’t lose sight of Kuroo along the way.

Watching the snow and matching where Kuroo’s steps had been, Yahaba barely notices when the lanterns begin to light his path. Pulling his eyes from the ground, Yahaba looks around and stops when he sees the lighted entrance to a small town in the middle of seemingly nowhere.

Kuroo turns back to them once more, and Yahaba notes that the others had stopped as well. “I’ll do all the talking - keep your hoods up and heads down. This is a town where no one questions anything if you have the right amount of gold.”

Yahaba doesn’t ask where Kuroo planned to acquire enough gold - if he was sent by King Kozume, then he must have been given the gold to supply himself along the way. So he nods in understanding and hunches his shoulders, pushing the hood a little further down his face and blocking the lanterns’ light from illuminating his features.

There aren’t very many people out, most likely due to the fact that it’s late rather than because it is cold. No one seems bothered by the cold, and most even have their hands or faces exposed without worry, talking casually outside the shops that line the small street.

It sends a shiver down Yahaba’s spine to see so many people not bothered by the cold that has numbed his hands and feet, as well as leaving his cheeks burning with the need to warm up again.

Kuroo leads them to a larger building with a sign hanging out front declaring it as an inn - Yahaba’s seen larger inn’s in the village surrounding Seijou’s castle, but that’s beside the point. He waits for all four of them to reach him before pushing open the door and leading them all inside.

The innkeeper looks up from her book with a bored expression on her face, but the narrowing of her eyes is enough to tell Yahaba she’s waiting for the door to close. Kuroo slams it shut without a second thought and her face relaxes. “What can I do for you?” She drawls, looking back down to her book.

Kuroo steps forward and begins to discuss with her about the rooms, but Yahaba focuses more on the tingling feeling within his fingers. Looking down, he holds his hands out in front of himself and begins to move them a little, the heat pooling within the room allowing the feeling to return to the numb appendages. It almost burns as the tips of his fingers turn pink from the returned warmth, and his ears feel on fire almost, his cheeks heating in a way he’s never experienced before - it’s almost too much, and Yahaba reaches up to rub at his stinging cheeks.

“Thank you kindly,” Kuroo finishes with a kind grin, and the girl grunts in return before handing him four keys. Waving to the rest of them, Kuroo leads the way to the right of the innkeeper and down a narrow hall. They go some ways before he stops and checks the keys. “Alright, these three rooms are for me, the tiny wizard, and _hulbasik depafair_ ,” Kuroo hands a key each to Watari and Iwaizumi before placing the fourth key into Yahaba’s hand. “This one's for you and _daseve hulbasik_ , your highness,” he grins mockingly at Yahaba and nods further down the hall. “Innkeeper said it’s on the second floor.”

Yahaba looks between the tag with room number 208 and Kuroo, furrowing his brows. “Why did you get four separate rooms…?”

“Figured you and _daseve hulbasik_ could use some alone time,” Kuroo snickers, “considering the way he looks at you and all…”

Kyoutani scowls, “fuck you,” and tries to move around Yahaba to threaten Kuroo properly. Yahaba stops him, reaching back to take his hand.

“When should we meet up again?” Yahaba asks, and Kuroo raises a single brow in surprise.

“Tomorrow, if you’re rested,” he shrugs, “the next day if you don’t feel ready. The first day in snow is usually the hardest, and you all look exhausted.”

Yahaba bites his lip, looking back to Watari and Iwaizumi. His best friend looks as though he’ll collapse at any moment, most likely due to the overuse of his magic prior to stepping into the Frozen North. Iwaizumi’s face looks pale, and his eyes unsteady, as though he is also ready to fall over. Turning the other way, he looks at Kyoutani, but instead he only finds an alert and bright expression on his face, his glare still trained on Kuroo’s face.

Sighing, Yahaba nods and turns back to Kuroo. “We’ll rest until we’re ready to go again.”

Kuroo hums in acknowledgement, turning to the room closest to them and pushing his own key in. “Then goodnight to all of you,” he says before opening the door and stepping in, closing it without another word.

Yahaba turns back in time to see Watari falling against the wall, and sighs to himself. Releasing Kyoutani’s hand, he goes to his friend and takes the key from him, helping him over to the correct room. He gestures to Iwaizumi after sending Kyoutani a look, and he doesn’t check to see if Kyoutani understood. Walking to the next room over, Yahaba struggles to open the door while supporting Watari’s dead weight.

With a grunt of effort, he’s able to open the door and drag his friend in, candles flickering to life before he drops Watari onto the bed as soon as he sees it. Watari rolls over on the bed, just big enough for one person, curling into himself and pulling his fur cloak closer to his body.

Yahaba sighs and pushes the grey fur away, unlacing Watari’s boots quickly and pulling them off. Watari mumbles his thanks, but it’s muffled by the yawn he gives. Yahaba moves around to pull Watari further up the bed, helping to remove the fur robe as well so that the snow that covers it doesn’t soak the bed.

Once he finally had Watari tucked safely and warmly into the bed, Yahaba heaves a sigh and looks down to his friend. “Watari…?”

Watari blearily opens his eyes and looks up to Yahaba, blinking once before snuggling back into the blankets.

“Why… why did you argue with Iwaizumi so much?” Yahaba asks, and Watari gives a moan as he stretches himself out under the blankets.

“Useless,” he mumbles, and Yahaba is taken aback by this. “I’m not,” he yawns again, rubbing at his eyes, “I’m not as good as you with magic… and I’m not strong like the beasts…”

Yahaba frowns. “Watari, you aren’t useless…”

Watari huffs, but it sounds drawn out and not very clear. “I have no purpose among you…”

He tries to think of an argument, but Watari is slowly drifting off. With a glance to his hands, Yahaba finally finds his argument. Reaching forward, Yahaba shakes his shoulder and gets Watari to open his eyes again. “I can’t use magic - you’re a lot more useful than you realize.”

Watari looks as though he doesn’t comprehend what Yahaba’s saying, but he doesn’t mind it. Pulling back, Yahaba moves towards the exit to allow Watari to fall asleep once again.

Closing the door behind him, Yahaba glances to the left and finds Kyoutani waiting outside of the room he’d helped Iwaizumi to. “Bed…?”

Yahaba nods, moving to continue down the hall and to the stairs that Kuroo had nodded towards. Kyoutani’s following after him based upon the sound of his boots stomping through the hall, but aside from that the narrow space is silent.

They climb the stairs and make their way to room 208 without any issue, and Yahaba clicks open the lock without a moment's hesitation. It’s a slightly larger room than the bedrooms downstairs, the candles flickering to life once they enter and the illuminating light allows for Yahaba to clearly see the bed - which is clearly meant for two. The door quietly slips closed behind them, and Yahaba notes the small room off to the side for washing and the chamberpot.

It’s too quiet, even as he slips off his winter robes and hangs them by the entrance to the bathing room. The ends of the fur is sopping wet, the small droplets of water beginning to hit the floor. Yahaba watches it for a moment as he drops his bag on the other side of the entrance, and he stops himself from heading further into the room before reaching down to pull off his boots and placing them to the side, avoiding the dripping of his robe. He winces at the sight of his blue toes, and he rubs at them once he sits down on the surprisingly soft bed.

Kyoutani is watching him from the entrance, a frown on his face. “What’s wrong?” Yahaba asks, and Kyoutani finally turns away to hang up his own fur cloak. Yahaba doesn’t ask again, returning to his toes as he tries to rub warmth into them. From where Kyoutani stands, he hears the sound of his armor coming off, and Yahaba’s ears are suddenly burning from more than the returning warmth.

When the pins and needles begin to pool into Yahaba’s toes, he releases his foot with a sigh of relief. His body feels heavy, but his mind is spiraling through so many thoughts and ideas he’s not sure if he’ll fall asleep right now.

He hears Kyoutani approach before he registers that the man is beside him, and Yahaba slowly opens his eyes to look up at him. Kyoutani’s removed all of his clothes aside from the underwear he wears beneath the fur that covers the tops of his thighs. Yahaba gulps at the sight of Kyoutani’s bare skin, and for once the scar on his chest isn’t distracting enough for him to ignore how naked Kyoutani is. He almost can’t bring himself to meet Kyoutani’s eyes, but his gaze eventually makes it there and by the time he does, his cheeks are trying to burn themselves off.

“Yahaba look tired,” Kyoutani mumbles, holding out a hand for Yahaba to take. “But… can’t sleep?”

Licking his lips, Yahaba takes Kyoutani’s hand and pulls himself up, standing level with him. “I… I don’t think I can sleep right now…”

Kyoutani hums, looking down to Yahaba’s gloved hand in his before he reaches out to pull it off. “Relax and sleep…”

“I don’t think that’s possible after everything that’s happened, Kyoutani,” he whispers, and he watches Kyoutani begin to slowly pull his glove away.

“I’ll help you,” Kyoutani breathes, leaning closer to press a kiss to the corner of Yahaba’s mouth. The glove has come away, and Yahaba doesn’t fight it when Kyoutani moves to grab his other hand, pulling that glove off as well. He doesn’t question where they’ve gone or what Kyoutani plans to do, he simply keeps his gaze on Kyoutani’s as the other pulls away.

“Kyoutani,” he manages to say, but for what reason he’s not sure, even as Kyoutani’s hand moves to unclasp the collar of his shirt. He shivers from the warm touch of Kyoutani’s fingers when they push their way past the cloth and Yahaba feels his lip tremble when Kyoutani’s calloused thumb rubs over his collarbone.

Yahaba pushes forward when Kyoutani doesn’t make another move for a moment, and it feels good to finally press their lips together again. His warmth floods Yahaba’s body and he feels his body tremble in response, the warm air of the room caressing his skin - it’s clear Kyoutani is pulling his shirt from his body, the clasps breaking off with each tug.

His arms become trapped in the shirt for a moment, and Kyoutani growls into his mouth when Yahaba is unable to lift his arms right away. He chuckles at the feeling, struggling to pull his arms free without breaking their kiss. One arm finally comes free when the last clasp rips away the fabric that holds it in place, and Yahaba doesn’t hesitate to wrap it around Kyoutani’s neck a second later. He pulls his other hand away from Kyoutani, flinging the shirt off before securing his hold and digging his hand into Kyoutani’s short hair.

Feeling his chest press against Kyoutani’s, Yahaba can’t help but smile, pulling away and catching his lip on Kyoutani’s fangs. It stings, but not in any way that he finds unwelcomed. Opening his eyes, Yahaba gazes into Kyoutani’s and they stand there a moment, their panting mingling between themselves as they try to catch their breaths.

Yahaba licks at the tiny scrapes on his bottom lip, trying to press closer to Kyoutani in this moment. It has been far too long since they were alone - Iwaizumi and Watari never left their sides, and a forest was far too open to give any kind of privacy.

Kyoutani’s grip on Yahaba’s back pulls him in closer, and Yahaba gives a soft sound of pleasure at the feeling. He feels calloused fingers dig into his lower back, rubbing at the space just above his pants and Yahaba pushes his forehead to Kyoutani’s, biting back a moan.

“Yahaba,” Kyoutani groans, pressing their mouths together without meaning to, “ _mine_...”

Yahaba wants to nod, tell him it’s true, but he doesn’t get a chance once Kyoutani closes the kiss, pushing back and pressing Yahaba into the cold wall of the room. The cool feel of the wall against his back shouldn’t be welcomed, but the fire burning between him and Kyoutani is enough to make any kind of cold a good thing. He feels encased in the heat of Kyoutani’s touch, his rough kisses, and the biting of his fangs trying to leave marks all along his mouth (it doesn’t sting, so Yahaba can only hope Kyoutani isn’t really chewing through the flesh of his lip).

But he wants this heat more than anything, and Yahaba digs his fingers into Kyoutani’s shoulders as much as he’ll allow, his stubby nails dragging along his flesh and making Kyoutani moan into his mouth again. He feels the heat of Kyoutani’s thigh press between his legs, and he’s groaning in pleasuring into Kyoutani’s mouth as well. 

He doesn’t remember sliding down the wall, but he recognises the feeling of sitting down when his bottom meets the floor. Yahaba isn’t sure he’s breathing correctly, and Kyoutani pulls their tangled mouths apart to start kissing along his jaw. Yahaba tries to hold back his moans, hopeful other patrons of the inn can’t hear them, but it’s impossible to hold back the sounds when he feels Kyoutani bite down where his shoulder meets his neck.

Yahaba at least hopes he’s not screaming.

Something pushes at his hair, and Yahaba doesn’t have time to wonder what it is when he feels Kyoutani begin to pull down his pants. He opens his eyes, vision hazy with pleasure before he focuses on Kyoutani kneeling before him. The other man looks up at him, leaning forward to kiss at Yahaba’s chest and Yahaba trembles when he begins to kiss at his nipple. It’s embarrassing, but it feels too good to push Kyoutani away, so Yahaba closes his eyes at the feeling and slams his head back into the wall, moaning at the feeling of Kyoutani’s tongue.

It’s a moment later when he feels the shiver of his body reacting to the room does he realize that Kyoutani’s completely removed his pants, and at this point Yahaba is the only one completely naked. Blearily looking down again, Yahaba sees that he’s right and Kyoutani still has on his underwear whereas he…

He’s completely exposed, and completely aroused.

Yahaba feels mortified by this, body going tense, unable to look Kyoutani in the eye when the other pauses to look over Yahaba’s body. “Don’t,” Yahaba mumbles, and Kyoutani’s attention snaps to his face, “don’t… stare…”

Kyoutani is gaping at him, a question in his eyes Yahaba can’t make out. “No,” Kyoutani mutters, reaching up to cup Yahaba’s cheek, “you’re amazing...”

Yahaba feels his jaw drop, and he thinks his eyes might be widening in surprise. He’s not sure how to respond, and Kyoutani takes his silence as an invitation to kiss him again. It’s gentle, and their bodies barely touch as Kyoutani’s lips move against Yahaba’s. He feels his body relax at the soft feeling, and Yahaba is soon giving small sighs of pleasure for Kyoutani to breathe in.

He pulls away all too soon, and Yahaba wants to protest the lack of kissing when he feels those calloused fingers wrap around him. Gasping in surprise, Yahaba’s body arches into Kyoutani’s hold, and his hand slaps itself over his mouth to keep from moaning even louder than before.

Kyoutani’s body is pressing against his side, and Yahaba shivers from the contact, made even worse when he rumbles with a laugh. “I want to hear you, Yahaba,” he whispers against Yahaba’s neck, and Yahaba moans deep within his throat. “I want to know that you feel amazing…”

Yahaba balls his hand into a fist, pressing his thumbs knuckle into his mouth to bite on as little sounds try to escape from his mouth. He can’t bring himself to make much more sound than that, and Yahaba jerks his head away when Kyoutani begins to kiss and lick along his jaw.

The heat in his groin is too much, and the pressure builds up the more Kyoutani strokes along his length. Yahaba isn’t sure how long Kyoutani plays with him, but the feeling of Kyoutani’s thumb pressing into the tip of his dick is enough to send trembles throughout his body. Yahaba’s hips are trying to pump along in time to Kyoutani’s hand, and he feels his body slip the rest of the way down the wall so he can push his hips up even higher with each thrust.

Kyoutani shifts against him, and Yahaba’s eyes shoot open when he feels his tongue play with his nipple again. It’s enough for Yahaba to throw his hand down to try to grip the floor, and nothing keeps him from grunting allowed his pleasure now. Twisting in Kyoutani’s hold, Yahaba presses his back against him and Kyoutani’s mouth pulls from his chest, but it doesn’t deter him from kissing along his shoulder and neck when he moves to meet Yahaba’s change in position.

“ _K-Kyou_ —” Yahaba tries to say, but his moaning wins out and he feels the world shift as Kyoutani pulls them up again, kissing along the nape of Yahaba’s neck and still pumping his hand in time to Yahaba’s tiny thrusts. Yahaba curls forward, unable to comprehend what his body is trying to do, but Kyoutani keeps him in place, sitting between his legs. With a coiling pleasure building and his cock feels ready to explode, Yahaba squeezes his eyes shut and presses his legs together, stopping Kyoutani’s hand from moving any further.

He catches his breath for a second, his body trembling with the unreleased pleasure. Yahaba’s not sure why he stopped, but Kyoutani isn’t moving either. Leaning back blindly, Yahaba shifts to try to find Kyoutani face and gives a soft whimper when the other pushes his chin over Yahaba’s shoulder. He rubs his cheek against Kyoutani’s and Kyoutani huffs a small laugh.

“Stop…?” Kyoutani asks, and Yahaba whimpers again. “Keep going…?”

Yahaba cranes his neck back to kiss Kyoutani, and in the same movement he feels Kyoutani’s feet hook under his ankles, pulling his legs apart. Kyoutani doesn’t pull away from kissing him, pressing in further and further and swallowing down Yahaba’s moans when Kyoutani resumes pumping his hand up and down, adding in twists and slight tightening as needed and Yahaba’s mind goes blank when he finally feels the pressure release.

He goes limp against Kyoutani, breathing heavily from the feeling of having ejaculated. Yahaba stares up at the ceiling of the inn’s bedroom, little orange embers burning in the ceiling from the magic that heats the building.

Yahaba isn’t willing to move for a while, and Kyoutani doesn’t force him to move either. He only kisses softly along Yahaba’s neck, and nibbles on his ear a little as they sit in the corner of the room. Briefly, Yahaba wonders about Kyoutani’s own cock and whether he should turn around to repay the favor, but his body feels far too heavy to move. He’s too warm and content to move from his place against Kyoutani’s chest, and soon the world goes dark around him as he slips into a blissful sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm just going to casually add in some new tags here, don't mind me...
> 
> (I'm sorry to anyone who were cool with it not be explicit and would have preferred it that way. Things got out of hand in this chapter and I realized this is the route the story was taking a little later than anticipated.)


	22. Desava

Warmth envelopes him, and the fur resting above him brushes his skin in a way that tickles. Yahaba shoves at the soft fabric, groaning to himself before pushing further into the warmth holding him at the front. He hears the soft huff of a laugh and sighs contently when the arms around his back shift against his bare skin.

It takes a moment, but Yahaba realizes he’s not in his own bed soon after when the fur is pulled back over his shoulders. Pressing his face into the heated skin, Yahaba takes a deep breath and relaxes at the scent of pine and grass - the forest he’d lived beside for his whole life. He rubs his cheek against the raised skin - a scar it seems - before finally pulling back and blinking his bleary eyes open.

Kyoutani is watching him, his rough hands gently grazing over his back and Yahaba blinks again to try to recall what had happened last night - or even when he’d climbed into bed.

Sitting up, Yahaba pulls away from Kyoutani’s hold and rubs at his eyes before looking around the room. He slowly recalls the freezing cold of the north and the feeling of losing his toes, of the small town that ‘One’ - Kuroo - had lead them to. It comes crashing back in a jolt of realization - the inn, the room, the intimacy - and Yahaba can’t bring himself to look at the corner of the room across from the bed.

“Did you carry me to bed…?” He asks, his voice rough with sleep and lack of water. Kyoutani grunts, leaning over to press against Yahaba’s shoulder. His hand finds the small of Yahaba’s back, and the heat sends a shiver through Yahaba’s body as he adjusts to the differences of temperature. “... thank you,” he mumbles, leaning into Kyoutani’s body when he begins to press light kisses to Yahaba’s shoulder, “you didn’t have to do that.”

“Floor uncomfortable,” Kyoutani replies, pausing in the kissing to pull Yahaba a little closer to him, “bed better.”

Yahaba snorts, turning to look at him with a smirk. “Then why didn’t we make it to the bed last night?”

Kyoutani’s eyes are dark, and Yahaba shivers at the sight. “Too impatient,” he answers, kissing Yahaba quickly and reaching forward with his other hand to dig his fingers into Yahaba’s hair, keeping him in place.

Yahaba hums into the kiss, turning fully to part his lips and wrap his arms around Kyoutani’s shoulders. The fur blanket falls away from his hips as he pushes closer, bending his legs and wrapping them around Kyoutani’s waist. As he pulls himself into Kyoutani’s lap, he feels the brush of fabric pressing up against him. 

He’s the only one still naked apparently. 

Breaking the kiss, Yahaba presses their foreheads together and leans back to keep Kyoutani from capturing his lips again. “Why… why am I the only one naked?” He asks, looking through his lashes at Kyoutani. 

Kyoutani snickers, “didn’t seem to mind last night…”

Yahaba grins, giving him a quick kiss that Kyoutani tries to chase after. “Well… now I mind…” He chuckles at Kyoutani’s pout, leaning in to continue kissing him.

But a knock comes at the door and they both turn to look at it. Kyoutani scowls, his hand gripping Yahaba’s hip a little. “Iwaizumi,” he mutters, and Yahaba turns back to him again in surprise to catch the twitch of his nose. Pushing Yahaba off a little, Kyoutani stands from the bed and throws the fur blanket back over him. Yahaba watches him make his way to the door, and when he hears the creak of it opening, he pulls the blanket further around himself.

A moment later, Kyoutani is returning with Iwaizumi and he hears the click of the door behind them. Yahaba is surprised to see Iwaizumi wearing the fur cloak with the hood pulled over his head, but he doesn’t question it. Quickly, Kyoutani climbs into the bed behind Yahaba, pulling him flush against his chest and looking at Iwaizumi expectantly.

Iwaizumi doesn’t shy away from looking at them when he pulls his hood down, and Yahaba feels his face burn. He wonders if Iwaizumi can smell anything off about them, and quietly hopes he won’t say anything.

His hope didn’t last as Iwaizumi scoffs. “What was it you said to me…? ‘You like him, he like you, so just claim’?” Iwaizumi gives a mock shrug, “‘ _what problem? Why so long?_ ’ Yeah, I’m pretty sure that’s what you said to me…” He frowns and crosses his arms, glaring at Kyoutani. 

Kyoutani growls back, “fuck off, _convejet_.”

“Eloquent as always,” Iwaizumi rolls his eyes before focusing on Yahaba. “I don’t think we should stay here for long.”

“Why?” Yahaba asks, sitting a little straighter.

“My people may not have been on good terms with the Snow Tribe, but we knew the dangers of the North,” Iwaizumi explains, and he glances to the door. “ _Kuroo_ didn’t seem to have any problem coming into this town, but I don’t think he’s realized where he lead us.”

Yahaba only feels more confused, glancing back to Kyoutani to see that he’s also confused.

Iwaizumi looks on edge as he turns back to them. “The rooms downstairs are filled with hunters,” he says, and Yahaba feels Kyoutani tense at this. “We can’t stay - we need to leave _now_.”

“Hunters…?” Yahaba repeats, but it does nothing to clear up what Iwaizumi means; to him, hunters are the ones who kill game for food. “What do you mean by hunters?”

“You don’t know?” Iwaizumi actually looks surprised. “Well, maybe you wouldn’t - Oikawa always talked about hunters getting your food and never mentioned this kind… in the North, Wizards outside the kingdom have created their own profession of hunting and killing _komshae_ \- Northern Hunters kill Beasts.”

Yahaba gapes at him. “How… how do you know they’re hunters?”

Iwaizumi scowls, his eyes going dark with rage. “They were talking about their latest kill…”

Feeling the urgency that Iwaizumi is giving off, Yahaba dismisses decency and climbs out of the bed, rushing to find his clothes from the floor. Kyoutani slowly joins him, pulling his armor on before assisting with finding Yahaba’s missing underwear. Iwaizumi moves to the window in the meantime, looking out to the town below.

“Have you checked on Watari?” Yahaba asks, pulling his shirt over his shoulders. It’s the one from his coronation day he realizes, and he briefly wonders if he ever packed clothes into his bag before this all happened.

“Not yet,” Iwaizumi admits, eyes scanning the road and the people outside. “I didn’t want to chance the hunters seeing me.”

Yahaba grunts in understanding, buttoning the shirt as well as he can. There seems to be a few buttons missing, and he thinks it might be from Kyoutani’s eager hands last night. “Have you seen Kuroo?”

Iwaizumi frowns and turns back to Yahaba, narrowing his eyes. “About him…”

“Is something wrong?”

“He’s,” Iwaizumi shifts his jaw, a sharp tooth digging along his bottom lip as he considers his words. “I don’t trust him.”

Yahaba pauses for a moment before pulling his pants up, glancing to Kyoutani. He’s pulled his own armor on by this point, and is watching Yahaba dress, but it’s clear by his expression that he agrees with Iwaizumi. “Is it because he’s the leader of your enemy tribe?”

Iwaizumi shakes his head. “I find it odd that the first captured beast is free, or that he knows anything about the movement of the Nekoma royal guards; he even seems,” he clicks his tongue, looking distantly to the side as if he’s not sure how to describe it, “like he knows more than he lets on.”

Yahaba stands straight, looking between the two men before him. “What are you trying to say?”

Kyoutani huffs, and they both turn to him. “Snow Leader lead us to Snow Wizard King,” he says, crossing his arms. “Lead us to death on wizard orders.”

The room grows that much colder at his words before a banging knock comes to the door.

“Hey,” a voice calls from the other side, and no one moves. Yahaba glances between them, and the two share a look of distrust. “ _Daseve hulbasik_! Open the door!” He recognises the voice now to be Kuroo as he pounds the door again, and Kyoutani scowls that much more. “Your _depafair_ is missing, _daseve_!”

Yahaba licks his lips and sends a them a questioning look. Neither move still, but Yahaba isn’t liking the shouting Kuroo is doing - not with supposed hunters in the inn - so he squares his shoulders and hurries to the door despite the glares he receives from Kyoutani and Iwaizumi.

It’s difficult to see under the hood, but Kuroo is also glaring by the time he opens the door, and he shoves his way into the room. Yahaba goes to shut the door, but Watari peeks around the wall of the hallway and he lets him in as well.

With the door shut and their entire group present, Yahaba returns to the main part of the room to find Kuroo sniffing the air. He scoffs and turns to sneer at Kyoutani. “What? No claiming yet?” Kyoutani growls at this, and Kuroo snorts with a shrug. “I even gave you a room!”

Yahaba grows tense when Kyoutani looks ready to jump Kuroo, and he flushes under Watari’s inquisitive eyes. Stepping forward, Yahaba grabs hold of Kuroo’s shoulder and turns him around. Kuroo’s eyebrows raise at being shoved and he focuses on Yahaba in question. “You do realize there are hunters here, right?” Yahaba asks, making Kuroo’s nonchalant act drop and his back straightens in surprise.

“Hunters…?”

Iwaizumi is growling now, and everyone turns to him. “You bastard - you _knew_ they were—”

“ _No_ ,” Kuroo snaps, glaring back at him, “I didn’t know there were hunters here!”

“Then why are you here?” Iwaizumi steps forward, his teeth bared. “Why would the Northern Wizard King want to help us?”

Kuroo’s clenching his teeth from the way his jaw tightens, and Yahaba watches the two have some kind of staring match between themselves. “Kenma,” he starts, but shakes his head, “ _King_ Kozume… he didn’t say who I was to help, just that there were people on the border of our lands in need of help and I was best suited to do so…”

Yahaba gapes at him, and he can’t stop himself from cutting off Iwaizumi’s next question. “You… how close are you to King Kozume?”

The two beast leaders glance to Yahaba before Iwaizumi refocuses on Kuroo. Kuroo seems to hesitate before taking on a closed off expression. “I don’t know what you mean,” he mutters, and Yahaba furrows his brow.

“You called him by his given name,” Yahaba states, gesturing to Watari at his side. “Ask any wizard - it’s considered rude to call someone by their given name unless you’re family.” The three beasts look surprised at this, and Yahaba crosses his arms. “Even in the North it’s like that; so why are you calling King Kozume by his given name?”

Kuroo softens his expression and looks to the floor, and Yahaba wonders if he’s giving in. “It’s not what you think… Kenma,” he sighs, shaking his head, “he’s been my closest friend for years, and he hates that wizard custom.”

Yahaba only feels more questions rise. “How many years…? Since he freed you?”

Kuroo shakes his head again. “Since we were children…”

This surprises everyone and Yahaba gapes at him. “Wait, but… didn’t you attack him?” He asks, and suddenly the reports about beasts since before the brainwashing are flooding his mind, only now he’s uncertain of the truth. “They said the first beast they experimented on was captured after attacking the Prince of Nekoma…”

Kuroo scowls and focuses on Yahaba once more, looking disgusted by the very suggestion. “I didn’t attack anyone - Kenma was in danger, I destroyed the glacitor, and they blamed his wounds on _me_.”

Yahaba isn’t sure what to say. If anything, he has more questions, but before he can even think of how to formulate the words, another pounding is rapping at the door. Everyone freezes, and immediately Yahaba feels his heart begin to pound as well.

“ _Yo_!” Someone calls, speech sounding slurred. “Whasa going on in thur?”

Another voice cackles, “we hear tha’ beast words!” A hiccup interrupts his speech, but he continues on with, “we don’ take _kindly_ to beasts arroun ‘ere!”

Yahaba slowly turns to Iwaizumi, and the forest beast leader looks ready to murder someone. “Hunters,” he grinds out, and before the banging knocks can come again, Kuroo is rushing to the window and pushing it open.

They all watch as Kuroo begins to climb out the window, and he stops when he sees them standing there. “Don’t just stand there,” he snaps, and the door sounds ready to cave in as he drops himself from the window. The sight of Kuroo disappearing spurs Yahaba on, and he shoves his feet into his boots before grabbing his cloak and bag to follow after. Iwaizumi has already jumped and Yahaba watches Watari fall to the street below before he kicks his leg over the sill.

He’s finally out into the chilling wind when the door finally gives, and he looks to Kyoutani still within the room. Growling from the sight of the hunters, Kyoutani turns and shoves Yahaba out the window before climbing out himself.

Yahaba feels the shock in his ankles as he lands, and he nearly slips in the snow before Kuroo can catch him. The people walking through the town stop to stare, but Yahaba pays them no mind as he watches Kyoutani lean back into the room as an afterthought. A hunter appears over Kyoutani with a raised knife and Yahaba gasps in fear. Kyoutani is quicker than the hunter however, and he slashes at the man before pushing away from the building and landing at his side.

The hunters are leaning out the window now, but Yahaba is too focused on Kyoutani to care. “What were you—”

Kyoutani stands straight, holding out the golden headband Oikawa had given him. “Important, yes?”

He’s taking the headband back when Kuroo starts to push at them, and the drunken hunters’ voices carry over the crowd that’s beginning to shout in protest. “ _Beasts in the town! Beasts in the town!_ ”

They’re running without a second thought and the townspeople jump out of their way. The street seems longer than it had the night before when they first came into the small town, and Yahaba winces from the bright, glittering snow under the sun’s rays.

Kuroo leads them out of the main town and into a cluster of pine trees - not enough to constitute a forest, but enough to hide them from sight. They stop to catch their breaths, and Yahaba looks back to the buildings, noting the distance and the incline of a hill that they’d apparently ran up.

“They were just drunk,” Watari comments, groaning a little, “they couldn’t have done anything!” Yahaba turns to his friend, frowning as he considers this. “How were they a threat?”

Kuroo sighs and shakes his head. “Drunk or not, there were other hunters there; not all of them would have been drunk…”

Watari glances to Yahaba before looking back down the hill. “So did you or did you not know about the hunters?”

“I didn’t,” Kuroo protests, but Iwaizumi scoffs. “I really didn’t know! Look, Kenma wants you all to be safe! He asked me to—”

“I don’t care what you have to say,” Iwaizumi cuts him off, and Yahaba’s back goes stiff as he watches Iwaizumi grab Kuroo by his cloak and pull him in close, his other hand clenched into a fist. “I don’t care that the King of Nekoma supposedly wants us safe! You said that there are orders for Yahaba to be killed, how do we know that your Kenma isn’t trying to lead us into a trap?”

Kuroo puts up his hands, face becoming void of emotion. “I get it, there’s no reason for you to trust me,” he gestures to Yahaba, “but I swear on _Fimar_ that I am not going to harm him or any of you. Kenma said it was important to keep you all safe and to help where I can; let me help you.”

There’s a moment of silence between them all, everyone watching Iwaizumi as he focuses on Kuroo and tries to determine if he can trust him. Yahaba bites his lip and holds his breath, the inner battle Iwaizumi is dealing with apparent in the way his eyes shift over Kuroo’s face. 

Finally, Iwaizumi releases his hold on Kuroo and steps back, nodding. Yahaba sighs in relief, glancing to Kyoutani to see his shoulders relax. He lifts the headband up and focuses on that instead, gratitude that Kyoutani had thought to grab it flooding through him before he pulls it over his hair.

“Alright,” he says, and everyone turns to Yahaba expectantly. “We need to get moving; we probably have hunters tracking us now, and we can’t give them the chance to come after us.”

Kuroo nods and gestures behind himself. “There’s another town an hour’s journey from here; it’s bigger, and we can get you all real clothes for the snow to keep you warm.”

Yahaba narrows his eyes, “why would we go to another town? In case you didn’t notice, you, Kyoutani, and Iwaizumi are very clearly beasts.”

Rolling his eyes, Kuroo pulls his hood up and holds out his hands. “No one questions you when you wear a hood - they just need to keep their faces covered.”

Iwaizumi huffs and pulls his own hood up before Kyoutani follows suit. Watari and Yahaba share a look before Yahaba nods to Kuroo. “Lead the way then…”

They’re barely out of the trees when Yahaba begins to notice the sopping wet coldness within his boots. He winces with every step, and tries to match his steps with Kuroo’s to avoid the deep snow. It doesn’t take long for him to give up, his strides not as long as Kuroo’s, but it doesn’t make the walk any easier.

Kyoutani walks alongside him and the light, consistent wind eventually knocks his hood back. Yahaba peeks over to him, looking over the pink that settles in the pointed tips of Kyoutani’s ears and the hue that slowly becomes permanent on his cheeks and nose. He bites back a smile at the sight, trying to remind himself it was because of the biting cold that his face was flushed and not because of any embarrassment.

It didn’t make it any less cute.

“Why stare?” Kyoutani grumbles after a while, and Yahaba jolts in surprise. He glances back to Iwaizumi and Watari behind them, the two caught up in their quiet conversation to notice anything. Yahaba hopes they’re not arguing before looking back to Kuroo a few paces ahead of them. “Yahaba staring at me - why?”

Yahaba sighs and focuses back on Kyoutani, who only looks suspicious. “Because you’re cute,” he admits, and Kyoutani scowls deeper.

“Not cute - Yahaba cute.”

“I thought I was pretty?”

“Both,” Kyoutani grunts and Yahaba laughs. Kyoutani shifts closer, bumping their shoulders together and whispering, “and sexy.”

Yahaba wonders if his face would be burning if it weren’t for the cold already trying to gnaw his cheeks off. He clears his throat and watches Kuroo again, letting the silence settle over them. Something occurs to him then and he glances to Kyoutani. “What… what does he keep calling you?”

Kyoutani raises his brow in question, and Yahaba wonders if he’s playing dumb.

“That thing… _daseve hulbasik_?” He tries the words, and Kyoutani tenses. Yahaba isn’t even sure he said it correctly, but he presses on. “I know that _hulbasik_ is their way of saying forest or what the Northern Beasts call your tribe, but I don’t know the other word.”

Kyoutani remains silent, his glare now on Kuroo’s back. Yahaba waits for an answer, keeping in step with Kyoutani as they continue on. When an answer doesn’t come soon enough, he sighs and gives up, deciding to let the silence seep in.

“ _Desava_ ,” Kyoutani mumbles and Yahaba whips his head up in surprise. “We say _desava_...”

Yahaba nods a little, barely recalling Iwaizumi’s correction when they first met Kuroo. “What does it mean?”

Kyoutani shakes his head, “something I never wanted.”

He doesn’t elaborate, and while it annoys Yahaba to be left in the dark, he doesn’t push. He only nods and looks forward again, recognising that Kyoutani doesn’t want to discuss whatever it means.

“ _Fimar_ shouldn’t have picked me,” Yahaba barely catches the whispered words, but he chooses not to react.

The journey continues on in silence between the two, and Yahaba is thankful for that when the wind picks up and it’s hard to speak or even see with the cutting winds. With how windy it’s become, he wonders about the element they lost - the element that Oikawa risked his life for - and hopes they’ll be able to discover where it had gone.

He nearly slips when Kuroo stops, and he tries to look around to see what Kuroo is staring at. In the distance just beyond the hill they stood upon, Yahaba notes the small village.

What catches his attention are the banners of icy blue emblazoned with a fiery red heart at the gate.

“Top Tier Wizards are here,” Kuroo says over the wind, and Yahaba gapes at the sight. “We’re going to have to be extremely careful no one recognizes any of us.”

Yahaba wants to protest, but Kuroo is pulling his hood tighter and Kyoutani is slipping his back over his head to follow after. Iwaizumi and Watari stop beside Yahaba and watch the two make their way down the hill.

“Be prepared to run,” Iwaizumi says, nodding as though he’s reminding himself. “We can’t risk anyone of the Nekoma Court knowing we’re here.”

“Hopefully we can get in and out without drawing attention to ourselves,” Watari adds, and Yahaba takes a deep breath. “Shouldn’t be too hard, right?”

He can’t even bring himself to answer in any fashion, and Yahaba presses on to follow after the other two.

There’s no one at the gate when they reach it, and the five of them enter easily. Within the village gates, Yahaba feels his skin tingle and he recognises the magic in the air keeping the chill of winter to a more bearable level. The people within the village are much more busy than the small town, but by keeping busy, Yahaba notes there are less eyes on them.

They quickly make their way to a clothing store and Kuroo goes to the counter to speak with the woman who works there. Yahaba stands at the entrance, looking around at the clothing on the shelves and racks and wonders what would be best suited for their travels.

Kuroo returns to them and gestures to the store. “I’ve paid for whatever you’ll get; everyone gets a shirt, pants, gloves, socks, and boots. Your robes should be good enough to keep you warm otherwise, but please get something warmer for the rest of your clothes.” He glances back to the woman who is watching them with obvious curiosity. “You can change in the back and put your current stuff in the bin or your bags, whatever works for you.”

Yahaba nods before going to the nearest rack to begin searching. Kyoutani appears at his side, his shadowed over face giving away his discomfort. Yahaba smiles and mumbles to him, “I can help you find something?”

Kyoutani only nods before Yahaba begins to pull him along to find suitable clothing.

It’s possibly an hour later when Yahaba finishes shoving the lightweight shirt from his coronation into his bag only to look up and see Kyoutani struggling with the shirt he’d found for him. He bites lip to keep from laughing, but Kyoutani glares over at him and he knows a snicker escaped his lips.

“Do you need help?”

Kyoutani grunts and Yahaba steps closer to him, leaving his bag on the built in seat of the corner. Kyoutani stops struggling and waits for Yahaba to fix whatever he’s done, watching him with the biggest pout Yahaba has ever seen from him.

“I know you hate clothes,” he mumbles, pulling at the hem of the thick black sweater to pull it down over Kyoutani’s stomach, “but I’d rather you be warm than frostbitten.”

A long suffering sigh is his only answer as he straightens the top of the sweater, the chest plate he kept on stretching the fabric on the left side of his chest. Yahaba is grateful he agreed to take off the shoulder piece at least - there was no way it would fit over that hunk of metal.

Yahaba steps back and smiles at the sight of Kyoutani in the form fitting shirt, but frowns when Kyoutani pulls at the fabric that covers his neck. “It’s supposed to cover your neck, Kyoutani…”

“Constricting,” Kyoutani mutters, and Yahaba can only shrug.

“Nothing I can do about that,” he pats Kyoutani’s shoulder and keeps his hand there when Kyoutani drops his hold on the high collar. Looking him over again, Yahaba notes that the sweater is somehow more attractive than when Kyoutani is shirtless, and his face heats up in response.

Kyoutani cocks his head to the side in question, and Yahaba avoids his eyes. Apparently not having that, Kyoutani reaches up and pulls Yahaba’s chin to look at him. “Yahaba look good,” he whispers and Yahaba’s face heats even further.

He’d found a dark blue (almost purple one might argue) sweater similar to his usual shirts, but instead of regular buttons, there were little wooden pegs that loop through thread to hold it in place. It was plain and not as form fitting as Kyoutani’s, but Yahaba felt he always looked best in blue.

“You look good too,” Yahaba quietly says, stepping closer into Kyoutani’s space. “Hopefully we’ll stay warm now.”

Kyoutani breathes a small laugh, “I can think of a different way to keep warm…”

Yahaba can’t fight the grin that takes over his lips before he presses forward and kisses Kyoutani, winding his arms around Kyoutani’s neck and pushing their bodies together.

A crash within the shop has them pulling apart before Watari throws the door open, the expression on his face all they need to know something has happened.

Grabbing his bag and throwing his cloak back on, Yahaba is silently glad they’d finished dressing before they decided to waste time in the room. The three of them return to the main space of the store and Yahaba fumbles in his effort to stop beside Kuroo and Iwaizumi, cornered opposite of their exit.

Standing at the entrance are four men, two of which Yahaba recognises by their robes as Top Tier Wizards in Nekoma. The other two he doesn’t, but from the way they’re muttering about killing beasts, he has only one guess to who they are.

“They tracked us here, huh?” Yahaba murmurs, and Kuroo nods.

“Fucking hunters; persistent assholes,” Kuroo curses under his breath and Yahaba tries to figure out a new exit for them.

He notices the people outside gawking at the store, and tries to remember if there was an exit in the back when he sees someone familiar. Yahaba stares at him for a moment as the other holds his gaze, and neither move until one of the hunters grows impatient, pushing forward to attack.

In a flash things change, and Yahaba ducks in surprise from the magic that bursts through the building. A second later and a hand is grabbing hold of him before he’s pulled and the sensation of his body getting stretched comes over him until it stops.

Dropping onto the floor, Yahaba groans and clutches his stomach, doubling over in pain. He’s not sure what has happened, but he recognises the groans of his friend’s beside him.

Looking up, Yahaba realizes they’re no longer in the store. Instead, they’re in a quiet room with a fluffy carpet, fountains lining the walls with plants hanging over or sitting within the streams. There are only a few people standing around looking down at them, four of whom he knows.

The fifth he’s never met, but he’d recognise the face of anyone from his deck of cards anywhere.

“Kuroo,” King Kozume starts, voice soft and almost seeming uncertain, “how is this keeping them safe?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow it's been a while. My bad, guys... I hope this doesn't seem rushed.


	23. Seer

From the commotion outside - though it’s quite a bit of a distance away - they haven’t left the town they were buying clothes in. This isn’t the capital in the Frozen North, far from it in fact, so why is the King of Nekoma here?

Yahaba stares up at the group before them, unconcerned of how he looks like a fish out of water as he gapes at them. Only King Kozume holds his attention among the group, his clothes a heavy velvet lined with fur, colored a deep ruby with the smallest of silver designs lining the white fur. His crown, though small, stood out in its silver shine atop his golden locks of long hair (though Yahaba notes the king’s dark roots are beginning to come in; what sort of king is Kozume he feels the need to alter his true appearance?), formed to appear like the ice that hangs from buildings. The king stands from his seat, slowly stepping down the three stairs that lead only to his makeshift throne and moving toward his beast.

Kuroo hangs his head once King Kozume stands before him. “I’m sorry, King Kozume - I had no idea those hunters had tracked us all the way there. I should have taken your orders more seriously.”

Kozume’s face remains passive, though Yahaba thinks he may feel frustrated from the way his brows are slowly drawing together. “Kuro, please stop,” he mumbles under his breath, and Yahaba frowns, wondering what the king has to feel nervous about.

Yahaba feels more at a loss when Kuroo chuckles and stands, smiling down at his king with a tender expression. “Sorry, Kenma; I’ll stop being so formal with you.”

A scoff returns Yahaba’s attention to the other people who stood beside King Kozume. Lord Yaku is shaking his head, arms crossed in disapproval. “He is still your king, One, even if he’s freed you,” Lord Yaku argues, which causes Yamamoto to sigh heavily.

“Calm down Yaku, jeez,” the top tier grumbles, rubbing at his neck. “No one should have told you about Kuroo, I swear…”

Yahaba stands then, drawing attention to himself. “Yamamoto,” he starts, and this makes the other stand a little straighter, “thank you for getting us out of there.”

Yamamoto grins at the recognition, laughing heartily. “My pleasure, King Yahaba; when I realized who I was looking at, I knew I needed to do something.”

King Kozume hums, and Yahaba turns to him. He avoids Yahaba’s eyes, but Kozume nods to him awkwardly. “I asked Tora to keep an eye out for anyone he knew,” is the vague mumble Yahaba receives, and he can’t help but scrutinize the king (which seems to put the shorter man on edge - what is going on here?).

Yaku sighs, and Yahaba turns back to the Hand of Nekoma’s King. “Please forgive King Kozume, he’s not very good with strangers,” he explains, gesturing to Nekoma’s King as he shifts his stance between his feet.

Watari nudges Yahaba then and he turns a questioning look at his friend. “Stop glaring at him,” he whispers, “I think you’re freaking him out!”

Yahaba starts at this, rounding back to face King Kozume. “Oh! I’m sorry, I didn’t—”

“It’s okay,” Kozume mumbles, playing with the rumpled fur on the end of his right sleeve. “I don’t mind really…”

Kuroo laughs, patting Kozume’s shoulder casually. “Kenma’s just shy, don’t mind him!” Kozume seems to shrink at these words, a frown suggesting Kuroo isn’t completely correct, and Yahaba seriously doubts the king is simply shy. “Kenma, this is the new King of Seijou, Yahaba, and his friend, Watari,” Kuroo introduces happily before frowning a little. “And the two beasts they have with them are unimportant,” he mutters, and Yahaba feels the insult dig deep into his gut, as well as the wave of hostility that comes from Iwaizumi and Kyoutani.

Kozume seems to recognise the hostility as well, because he sends a cross look up at his beast before finally meeting Yahaba’s eyes. He feels a spark of energy connect between them, and Yahaba straightens at the feeling, shivering at little at the intensity of Kozume’s eyes. Without even thinking about it, he gestures to Iwaizumi and Kyoutani in turn as he introduces them, “this is Iwaizumi, Leader of the Dark Forest Tribe, and his brother, Kyoutani, who is also my lover.”

Immediately, Yahaba’s face burns at the admission, especially when Kozume drops his hold on his gaze and nods in understanding. A low whistle from Yamamoto makes his face grow that much hotter. “Welcome to Nekoma,” he quietly says before turning back to walk up to his temporary throne. Sitting back down, Kozume pulls his feet up and he seems to shrink down into the cushioned seat. “I apologise for my people’s violent reaction to you all - the only beasts they’re used to are Kuro when he’s acting as ‘One’, as well as ‘Six’ and ‘Eleven’ if I’m being perfectly honest…”

Kuroo huffs, crossing his arms and pouting. “You mean Fukunaga and Lev, Kenma…”

Kozume shakes his head with an expression that suggests he dreads that reaction, and Yahaba looks between the only two remaining individuals there - the beasts of Yamamoto and Lord Yaku, ‘Six’ and ‘Eleven’. Neither have moved from their stiff stance beside Yamamoto and Yaku, and Yahaba wasn’t sure what this meant initially until Kozume called them by their numbers.

“One, you know they’re still under control of the device,” Yaku exasperatedly explains, and Yahaba’s eyes widen in surprise from the confirmation. Yaku heaves a sigh once again when he notices Yahaba’s expression, shrugging a little as though he isn’t sure what else to say. “Only our king has freed his beast here in Nekoma…”

Yamamoto grunts in agreement, bringing Yahaba’s attention back to him. “Yaku and I aren’t sure if we want to try to free them, especially since Kenma is against trying it again.”

Once more, Kozume seems to shrink into his seat, and Yahaba notes the worry on his face. Even Kuroo appears to slouch a little, his expression becoming closed off.

Kozume sits up a little suddenly, and Yahaba focuses back on his fellow king. “How… how did you free Kyoutani…?” Yahaba blinks, uncertain of how to respond. “Tora said that King Oikawa’s student had a beast too, and that he was called ‘Sixteen’. This is him, isn’t it?”

Yahaba looks back to Kyoutani, and the other stares back at him. “I… I just followed the instructions from Lord Irihata’s book I took from Oikawa,” Yahaba admits, facing Kozume again. “He had freed ‘Four’ as well, but I didn’t know it at the time.”

Kozume hums, his gaze flicking over to Iwaizumi before dropping to his hands, where he pulls at the fur on the cuff of his sleeve. “I see… Oikawa was amazing,” he mumbles before nodding to Iwaizumi and Yahaba in turn, “I’m sorry for your loss…”

Iwaizumi steps forward then, standing beside Yahaba and surprising him. “How did you know to send Kuroo to us?”

Yahaba furrows his brow, the question dawning on him as well. “Yeah, I… I would like to know that as well,” he admits, scrutinizing Kozume once again. “You seem to know more than what’s been reported actually…”

Kozume bites his lip, his shoulders hunching as he sits up, dropping his feet back to the floor. “I… I just knew…”

Yaku chuckles humorlessly, shaking his head as though he’s hearing a child’s excuse for the hundredth time. “Come on, Kenma, you know the real reason,” he presses, setting his hand to Kozume’s shoulder.

Hanging his head a little more, Kozume drops his hands from one another and takes a deep breath. Sitting up, he meets Yahaba’s eyes once again, and his piercing gaze holds him still. “I can see the future,” he admits, and Yahaba jolts back in surprise. “Not… not the complete future,” Kozume goes on, as though backtracking, and the confidence he’d shown before is diminishing quickly as he drops his gaze to the floor. “Just… sometimes, I know things will happen one way, and other times it… it might not happen,” his voice falls to a mumble, and Yahaba has to strain his ears to hear the last of his soft words, “and never do I know my own future…”

The silence that follows feels heavy, and Yahaba tries to comprehend what was just told to him. This type of magic is rare, and for a king to have this power is surprising to him, but the name of it escapes him.

“You’re a seer?” Watari asks, and Yahaba glances over to him in surprise. Watari’s eyes are wide with wonder, and his jaw is hanging as though he’s heard the craziest story imaginable. “I can’t believe this… no wonder Nekoma has been doing so well since you were crowned this year!”

Kozume doesn’t seem to like the praise, but Yaku and Yamamoto are grinning with pride. “That’s right! Kenma is a fantastic king, the predictions he’s had have ensured the safety of our people!” Yamamoto boasts, Yaku nodding along, but Kozume only seems to grow more flustered by his words. 

“Please stop,” he quietly pleads, and Yamamoto laughs in apology. Kozume refocuses on Yahaba, but he doesn’t meet his eyes this time. “King Yahaba, could I speak to you alone…?”

Yahaba perks up at this, glancing back to his companions for a moment before nodding. “Of course, King Kozume,” he says, ignoring the worried expressions on Watari and Iwaizumi’s faces. Kyoutani alone seems to be unafraid, his shoulders relaxed and face passive.

Kozume stands again and slowly moves to Yahaba’s side, reaching out to take his arm, pausing for a brief moment before looking back to Yaku and Yamamoto. “Tora, I—”

“I know,” Yamamoto laughs, waving a dismissive hand to his king. “We’ll be there in a moment.”

Nodding, Kozume rounds back to face Yahaba and reaches out again. Yahaba stares at his hand a moment, noting how the skin appears completely smooth yet the nails at his fingertips are ragged and chipped in a way that suggests they were bitten. Kozume truly was raised as a prince if his hands look this way, and for a moment Yahaba recalls how rough his own hands were before the Hollow Body Phantom - from working in the town and the lessons Oikawa would give to him. Yahaba returns his gaze to meet the near golden stare of a king born to royalty, and Kozume doesn’t flinch away, simply waiting for Yahaba to take his hand.

He knows all too well what taking Kozume’s hand will do.

Heaving a breath to calm his nerves, Yahaba lifts his hand and slowly brings it over Kozume’s. There’s a moment of hesitation, and Kozume’s eyes seem to widen for a second before he pushes forward himself and takes Yahaba’s hand, spiraling them out of existence in that split second of contact.

Yahaba falls to the floor when he feels the world return to him, and he gasps for air in his shock. Kozume is turning away, hunching his shoulders as though he can hide away in shame. “That,” Yahaba starts, looking around a noticing the very clear difference in where they stood now. “That was the fastest teleportation spell I’ve been subject to,” he mumbles, standing from where he fell to look around himself. 

The room they’d been in seemed like a sitting room for important guests within a luxury hotel, meant for groups of higher class individuals to have their own private meetings while attached to the rooms they’d reside in at night. It was nice, but clearly not Nekoma’s castle, and Yahaba gapes at the tapestries he sees before him now.

It’s the grand hall of Nekoma’s castle, he’s certain of it, considering the tapestries depict the great history of the Frozen North’s royal family. The figures were done in a minimalistic style, but their colors are vibrant and catch your attention immediately. Without knowing the full story, Yahaba knew he wouldn’t be able to comprehend some of the images, but that did not matter for now - not when the largest toward the front of the hall, furthest from the throne Kozume walks to, depicts an all too familiar shadow.

“Hollow Body Phantom,” he mumbles, turning to find that King Kozume has made it to his real throne and sat down, pulling his knees to his chest. Yahaba steps closer, looking at the rest of the Great Hall - the marble structures, the red velvet accents and carpet that flows through the room, the frieze atop the archways that lead out of the room to the rest of the castle - and realizes he hears no one. There doesn’t seem to be anyone around. “King Kozume, did you bring me here because there wouldn’t be anyone around…?”

Kozume shakes his head, frowning a little. “Please, just call me Kenma,” he insists, voice soft but stern. 

Yahaba stops before the throne, looking up to the king and nodding once. Kenma isn’t shy, Kuroo is wrong about that. He is, however, awkward and seems to have trouble speaking with strangers about simple things. He’s anxious, maybe a bit worried of how others will think of him, and so he thinks too much about it and ends up presenting as a closed off individual. Yahaba understands that all too well - the need to be perfect in order to not seem misplaced when among royals. But Kenma has spent his whole life among royals, being born a prince, much like how Karasuno’s heir is chosen. The need to throw aside at least one formal element doesn’t escape him here and so he stands a little straighter. “Then… you can call me Shigeru,” he offers, and Kenma seems to relax a little at the offered words. “Was it because of the Hollow Body Phantom in the first tapestry you brought me here?” He asks, and Kenma doesn’t react for once, remaining hunched in his seat. 

“That’s why you’re here,” Kenma murmurs, and Yahaba tries not to feel surprised. “The Cardinal Elements, you’re trying to find them… you have a map, but I don’t know where you got it or how it works…”

Yahaba turns to his bag and reaches into it, digging around for the shrunken table. Finding its form, he pulls it out and holds it up for Kenma to see. “Oikawa enchanted it to show information about our lands,” he says, wincing a little when he realizes the true map isn’t seen until the table is returned to its proper size. Which he is unable to do him, “I… um…”

Kenma pushes himself up, moving to stand beside Yahaba. He thinks Kenma is going to take the table from him, but instead Kenma takes hold of his forearm with a frown. “Your magic… it’s blocked?”

The first question Kenma has really asked without knowing the answer. “Yes… I think it’s because,” Yahaba pauses, which prompts Kenma to look him in the eye and, once more, his intense gaze pulls the answer out of Yahaba, “the Hollow Body Phantom tried to kill me.”

Pulling away, Kenma gapes at Yahaba before immediately shifting his expression back to his neutral, calculating gaze. “I see,” is all he whispers before looking at the table in Yahaba’s hand. “You said Oikawa enchanted the table?”

Yahaba nods, passing the table to Kenma’s open hand. “I can’t return it to its original state, but—”

“I can,” Kenma finishes for him, placing the table down before standing back, holding out his hand to enlarge the table. Yahaba stands back with him, and within a blink of an eye, the table has returned, this time with a startling revelation.

First, the castle of Nekoma has enlarged, and is on full display in the center of the Frozen North, while Seijou’s ruined castle has shrunk to the same size as the rest of the kingdom’s castles. The figures that represent Yahaba’s companions are huddled together at an area of the map no where near the castle itself - based upon the markings in the Frozen North, they’re at one of the larger towns, and Yahaba figures that’s where they just were. Meanwhile, beside the castle stands the figure of Yahaba, as well as the newer figure of Kenma. Yahaba stares at the two of them, uncertain if he’s ever seen any of the royals on the table before; he begins to wonder just what sort of enchantments Oikawa had placed on the table.

Outside of the Frozen North, Karasuno’s land in the Everblack Woods seems to have a swept appearance - as though a tornado had torn through the area and left in its path a mess of trees and debris. It wasn’t completely destroyed, but something has definitely happened in Karasuno to draw the attention of the map’s enchantments and be recreated on the surface of it all. Yahaba considers a moment that this may be a clue to where Air has gone, but for now, he leaves it be and makes a note to himself to check it out later with his friends.

Fukurodani has altered its form as well, only just barely and nothing like the destruction of the cut path in the Everblack Woods. The Lands of Autumn have small patches of areas where the map suggests fires broke out, but the scorched marks are small and quick to be looked over. Yahaba has no idea what could have caused it, and he isn’t sure he wants to find out.

The only other change on the map - as Shiratorizawa has been left unscathed - is Seijou’s ruined castle, and its new neighbor of the ever growing black cloud of the Hollow Body Storm.

“It’s grown,” Kenma says, and Yahaba stares at the cloud in shock. “This isn’t good,” Kenma continues to say, moving around the table to stand beside where the marker Yahaba made for Water sits. “This is what you’re here for, isn’t it?”

Yahaba slowly peels his focus from the cloud to the figure of Water and nods. “Yeah… we need to collect the Cardinal Elements, and Water is—”

“In the last place you want to go,” Kenma shakes his head, and Yahaba gawks at him. “Shigeru, this area where you’ve placed Water… why have you decided it’s here?”

Clearing his throat, Yahaba recites, “Lome _is where heat sits within the cold, protected by their vicious creatures._ That’s what Air had explained to me while we were still in Seijou,” he winces, “and before we lost it…”

Kenma sends him a quizzical look, “ _Lome_? Is that… the beast’s word for Water?”

“And North evidently,” Yahaba nods, gesturing back to the map, “do you agree that’s where it is?”

Kenma glances back to the marker and nods slowly. “Sounds like a hot spring, and this one,” he taps his finger against the table where Water sits, “is the largest, most dangerous one.”

“What makes it dangerous?”

“Glacitors,” Kenma bites his lip, his head dipping lower to allow his hair to cast a shadow over his face so that Yahaba can’t make out his expression. “As well as a few other creatures of Water…”

Yahaba narrows his eyes, and for a moment he believes he’s figured out Kenma’s insistence that he wouldn’t want to go there. “That’s where you were attacked,” he guesses, and Kenma flinches, “when they thought it was Kuroo who attacked you.”

Kenma doesn’t move for a moment, keeping his head down. Yahaba waits though, believing that Kenma will talk if he gives him a moment. Finally, Kenma sighs and lifts his head.

“It’s the most beautiful place in the Frozen North, or so they think,” Kenma whispers, and Yahaba leans forward to listen in. “Kuro… he wanted to show it to me, wanted to cheer me up because my father fell ill,” he shakes his head a little, “but it wasn’t because he was sick… it was because I would be king if were to die, and that thought was what upset me…”

Yahaba stares at Kenma, the clouded over expression telling him that Kenma’s never really talked about this. So why tell Yahaba?

“Kuro means well, and he wants nothing more than for me to be happy,” Kenma continues, “but he just doesn’t understand sometimes… I never wanted to be king; in Seijou and Shiratorizawa, the ruler is chosen by the royal council, and usually the previous ruler has the most say in who their heir is. In Fukurodani, the people choose their ruler. But in Karasuno and Nekoma,” Kenma frowns here, looking as though he resents the traditions of his people, “it’s by blood relation to the ruler - born to the throne and always expected to take on the role of king or queen.”

Yahaba nods, peeking back over to Seijou’s ruined castle. “I don’t think I could ever imagine that kind of pressure…”

Kenma shakes his head, “in a way, you do, though.” They look to one another again, and Kenma’s eyes have the same intensity as before. “You didn’t want to be king if it meant Oikawa would die.”

“I—”

“It was thrust upon you, and you had no idea what it meant to become king,” Kenma continues on, and Yahaba flinches back at his words. “You weren’t taught the ways to be a good king, and you barely felt any confidence in your magic.”

“Yes, but—”

“That’s why you feel so guilty,” Kenma quietly says, and the intensity is gone behind his eyes. Yahaba stares at him, feeling cold at the words. “You… you think you’re the reason Oikawa is dead…”

Yahaba can’t speak.

Kenma is silent a moment before his eyes flashed with that same spark as before, but it was gone the moment he glances to the table. “You said Oikawa enchanted this?”

Yahaba nods, wondering why Kenma seems to forget that piece of information.

He only hums this time, dragging his fingers gently along the edge of the Frozen North. Suddenly, the table shrinks again, and Kenma catches it, holding it out for Yahaba to take. “It’ll be dangerous, trying to get the Northern Element of Water,” he mumbles, and Yahaba takes the table back, watching Kenma with curiosity. “Are you sure you want to go?”

Nodding again, Yahaba puts the table away and stands a little straighter. “You saw the Hollow Body Storm - I have to do this.”

Kenma stares at him, his gaze no longer intense, but still pulling all the same. Yahaba steels his expression, hoping the doubt he feels isn’t showing through.

Suddenly, Yamamoto and Yaku appear with the others, and Yahaba jumps at their sudden appearance. Watching them all stand disorientedly, looking around themselves with curiosity, Yahaba wonders how long Kenma had told them to wait.

“Very well,” Kenma says, turning away from Yahaba to move towards one of the archways out of the Great Hall, “I will assist you with getting to the Spring of Lome.”

Yahaba twists back to watch Kenma walk away, and isn’t sure if he’s meant to follow. “When will we go?”

“Tomorrow,” Kenma answers, stopping before the open door and looking back. “I have to meet with my council now; they want to know what happened in Snofugg…”

Yaku huffs and hurries after him, ‘Eleven’ following close behind. Kenma continues out of the room, the frieze above the doorway he exits depicting wizards battling against glacitors.

Kuroo laughs, moving to follow after Kenma before glancing over to Yahaba and winking. “Told you Kenma wanted to help you,” he says, and Yahaba scoffs.

“You said he wanted to keep us safe,” he counters, and Kyoutani comes to stand beside him, “nothing about wanting to help.”

Kuroo only laughs again, waving over his shoulder as he walks through the same arch. “Keeping safe, wanting to help - they’re almost the same thing!”

Yahaba shakes his head in amusement before turning to Kyoutani. Kyoutani is looking him over, clearly trying to hide his worry. “Yahaba good?”

“Yeah, I’m good.”


	24. Shenance Har Dem

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter wasn't supposed to happen. But then it did. Enjoy.

Yamamoto had directed them to guest rooms and recommended they take the evening to warm up before the travel tomorrow. Yahaba couldn’t argue that and bid the top tier farewell before inspecting the room he’d taken Yahaba and Kyoutani to.

There is only one bed, which is fine, but it takes a moment of Yahaba questioning why Yamamoto would give them a room with one bed before remembering what he said when he introduced Kyoutani. He feels his cheeks burn as he glances over to Kyoutani.

Kyoutani’s staring at him, and Yahaba wonders what Kyoutani thought when he’d said it.

“Yahaba good?” Kyoutani asks, brows furrowing when Yahaba doesn’t immediately say anything.

“I…” He bites his lip, “I apologise if calling you my lover was a bit too forward.” It’s formal, probably too formal, but Yahaba is compelled to say it.

Kyoutani scoffs, raising a brow. “Don’t care, Yahaba mine,” he says, stepping forward to embrace Yahaba. Yahaba leans into his hold, reaching out from under his robe to hold Kyoutani in return. “Yahaba tell everyone he’s mine,” Kyoutani murmurs, his voice practically a purr as he breathes against Yahaba’s neck.

Shivering from the contact, Yahaba bites back his smile. “So you don’t mind me calling you my lover?”

“It’s the truth, Yahaba,” Kyoutani softly answers, “that king made you tell the truth.”

Yahaba hums in agreement before pausing, pulling back to give Kyoutani a quizzical look. “What?”

“What?”

He shakes his head, scrutinizing Kyoutani’s face. “I’m sorry, how do you know he made me tell the truth?”

Kyoutani looks confused, returning Yahaba’s questioning gaze with one of his own. “Felt his power - his magic made you tell the truth.”

Yahaba pulls back completely now, stepping away from Kyoutani. “You… you can sense magic?”

“Sometimes,” Kyoutani shrugs, “mostly when it’s powerful magic. I can’t sense when Watari uses his, but I could feel it when you’d use yours.”

Gaping at him, Yahaba turns his gaze to the floor and tries to understand how this is possible. “Is… is this a beast thing?”

“Must be, because Iwaizumi always knew when Wizards came near our home,” Kyoutani answers as though this isn’t the craziest thing Yahaba’s ever heard.

It probably isn’t, but Yahaba was always told beasts were incapable of magic.

“Can you,” Yahaba refocuses on Kyoutani’s eyes, “can you use magic…?”

Kyoutani scoffs, crossing his arms. It’s all the answer Yahaba needs.

“Okay, fine,” he says, turning to look at the room again, “let’s find something to start a fire in the hearth.”

“Hearth…?”

Yahaba points to the fireplace opposite the bed, “that’s where you can light a fire to warm up a room.”

Kyoutani grunts, going over to it. “Have no magic,” he says, pointing to Yahaba (and it hurts to be reminded, but Yahaba does his best not to react), “I’ll start it.”

Standing a little straighter, Yahaba moves over to him. “You sure…?”

“Find something to help,” Kyoutani turns to the hearth, adjusting the logs that were already there, “I can start fire.”

Yahaba hesitates, but when Kyoutani doesn’t look back to him, he nods to himself and takes a look around the room again.

There are paintings in the room of different landscapes, all covered in snow, and Yahaba shivers at the thought of being outside again. There’s a doorway to the left of the entrance he hadn’t seen before, so Yahaba ventures over there, his presence illuminating the enchanted candles within.

His jaw drops at what he finds and immediately rounds back into the main room. Rushing to Kyoutani’s side, Yahaba begins to shake his shoulders. “You have to come see this!”

Kyoutani looks up from what he’s doing with a scowl that holds no anger, and Yahaba notes the heat at their side. In the minute Yahaba spent looking around the room, he’d somehow lit a fire ( _how in the world_ ) but Kyoutani stands anyway and gestures to the hearth. “Safe to leave?”

“It’s fine, I don’t know any Wizard who don’t enchant their fireplace to be protected,” Yahaba waves away his concerns, pulling on Kyoutani’s arm.

He drags Kyoutani over to the adjacent room and stops once they’re both standing past the doorway. Watching Kyoutani, Yahaba feels his body thrum with excitement as it clearly registers on his face what they’re looking at.

“Bath?”

Yahaba laughs, nodding. “More specifically, a hot spring.”

Kyoutani is gaping at it now, and Yahaba suddenly has an idea. Unlatching his winter robe, Yahaba drops it to the floor without a care, drawing Kyoutani’s attention back to him. “Yahaba?”

“Let’s take a bath,” he suggests, smiling as sweetly as he possibly can. Kyoutani’s ears turn red, and Yahaba knows it’s not from the sudden heat surrounding them.

Following his lead, Kyoutani begins to disrobe as well, and Yahaba continues to remove his clothing, keeping his gaze locked with Kyoutani’s.

He’s quick about unbuttoning his shirt and dropping it down into the winter robe, but Kyoutani seems to have trouble with some of his own buttons. Pulling off his gloves to join the pile, Yahaba reaches forward without a word and begins to help Kyoutani remove his clothes.

Kyoutani’s watching him in silence, his eyes growing darker by the second and Yahaba does his best to keep from smirking in his own pride. With Kyoutani’s winter robe finally gone, Yahaba deftly pulls at the hem of his sweater and yanks it off of Kyoutani with minimal struggle, tossing it down as well. His heart is speeding up as he steps closer, and Yahaba reaches around Kyoutani’s back to unbuckle the chest plate, hovering his lips over Kyoutani’s but not allowing them to touch just yet. Kyoutani’s breath ghosts over Yahaba’s skin, and his eyes burn a darker gold as he stares back into Yahaba’s.

The click of the belt brings Yahaba’s attention to what his hands were doing, prompting him to step back and pull the chest plate off of him - his fingers glide over the rough, cracked skin of the wound once the armor falls, and Kyoutani shivers at the touch. Yahaba focuses on their shared scar and only stops his soft petting when the black veins lineup from his hand to Kyoutani’s chest, his eyelids heavy as he hesitates in returning his gaze to Kyoutani’s. He can feel the racing pulse under Kyoutani’s skin, and it matches the thrumming beat of his own heart.

“ _Fisata_ ,” Kyoutani growls, and Yahaba furrows his brow in confusion.

“What?”

Kyoutani grunts, leaning forward as he pulls at Yahaba’s hips, the press of his lips harsh and needy against Yahaba’s own. Yahaba barely has time to respond before he’s pulling back, pushing his forehead to Yahaba’s and muttering, “like fuck or whatever… you’re too much…”

Yahaba’s face burns and he tries to bite back his amused grin, but it’s impossible to hold back. “Oh? I’m sorry, did I move too slowly for you?” He teases, and Kyoutani opens his eyes to glare at him, the scowl looking to Yahaba more like the pout of a child who didn’t get their way than anything frightening.

“Take too long,” Kyoutani grumbles, and Yahaba feels his skin tingle when Kyoutani’s calloused hands dip under his pants, forcing the cloth down without a second’s hesitation while leaning in to kiss him again.

Yahaba’s ready this time, pushing back to nip at Kyoutani’s bottom lip. He feels the press of a hand on his now bare cheek and, with the sharp poke of a nail angled the wrong way, is reminded of the claws on Kyoutani’s fingers. It only sends a thrill up his spine though, and Yahaba feels the rumble in his throat of the moan Kyoutani draws from him with the shifting hold of his fingers on the rounded flesh.

Kyoutani’s other hand is gliding up Yahaba’s side, rounding it’s way to his back and bringing him in close, closing the space between their chests. Yahaba sighs at the contact, winding his arms over Kyoutani’s shoulders and shifting his mouth for a better access to Kyoutani’s for a deeper kiss.

His bottom lip is being pulled between Kyoutani’s teeth and the scrape of his sharp canines drives another moan from Yahaba. By now his pants have fully fallen away, and Yahaba can feel the press of his skin against the fabric of Kyoutani’s clothes - frowning, Yahaba pulls away and looks down, his bottom lip pulsing from the sensation of being sucked on.

“Wha—”

“Again,” Yahaba manages to say, his voice raw with desire, “why am I the only one naked?”

Kyoutani blinks at him before looking down as well. “... just kind of happens…?”

Rolling his eyes, Yahaba steps back from Kyoutani’s hold and grabs hold of the waist of his pants, yanking them down with one tug. He stops and for a moment, there isn’t anything registering in his brain - only the fact that Kyoutani’s dick is finally before him and dripping with precum.

There’s a few beats of silence where neither move, and Yahaba simply stares down at Kyoutani’s manhood. He’s broken from his trance when Kyoutani shifts under his ogling eyes, and the heat of the room brings him back to where they were.

Clearing his throat, Yahaba grabs Kyoutani by the arm and pulls him to the pool of water, slowly stepping down into the heat and seating himself on the smooth rocks within. Kyoutani pauses, as though he’s not sure if he should, until Yahaba glances back up to look at him. He’s avoiding Yahaba’s eyes, but Kyoutani joins him and sits down in silence in the hot spring.

He feels his body’s tension rolling off of his muscles, and Yahaba sags into the water a little deeper, leaning over to press against Kyoutani’s side, his head angling to rest on his shoulder. The hot springs in the castle of Nekoma were natural - the history of Nekoma is long and confusing, but this much Yahaba knew. When the Wizards of the Frozen North discovered this location prior to Nekoma’s founding, they had built their castle over the hundreds of little pools, and most of the bedchambers had little hidden pools within.

Yahaba sighs in content, grateful Yamamoto put them into one of those very rooms tonight.

Kyoutani begins to relax after a while, and Yahaba smiles to himself when he feels Kyoutani’s cheek press into the top of Yahaba’s head. Under the water, Yahaba finds his hand between them and holds it, lacing their fingers together. Kyoutani hums at the touch, his cheek nudging against Yahaba’s hair just a little before settling down again.

They sit a moment longer until Yahaba recalls the night before - the press of their bodies and the release of the tension Kyoutani granted him. Licking his lips, Yahaba glances down into the water at the distorted sight of Kyoutani’s dick. Sitting up, Yahaba jostles Kyoutani from leaning back into him and the movement brings his attention to Yahaba. Looking back at Kyoutani, Yahaba doesn’t move until Kyoutani’s expression becomes a questioning one.

The water sloshes around him as he suddenly stands and swings around, putting his knees on either side of Kyoutani’s hips to settle down in his lap, and before Kyoutani could even blink, he smashes their mouths together, their teeth clacking and their lips sloppily trying to meet. He doesn’t break though, readjusting to properly align their lips without delay, and when he drops his hips, he presses his tongue between the gasping lips of Kyoutani’s.

Yahaba works his mouth to bite and pull as he tugs Kyoutani’s tongue up, and he feels the throbbing pressure of Kyoutani’s member against his own, but Kyoutani doesn’t move for a few seconds. Just as he’s about to pull away though, Kyoutani’s arms fling out from under the water and wrap around Yahaba in a tight hold, pressing him down even more against his flesh.

Groaning into his mouth, Yahaba pulls back to breathe for a second and meets Kyoutani midway to resume the rough kiss, his lips tingling from the oversensitivity of being kissed. The pressure between their groins begins to build again, and Yahaba feels himself whine at the sensation, and his moans echo against the walls of the room when Kyoutani breaks their kiss and begins to mouth his way down Yahaba’s jaw and along his neck.

He can almost feel it, the release he had experienced last night, but Yahaba doesn’t want to meet that pleasure just yet. Panting and trying to control his voice - it’s nearly impossible and Yahaba’s not even sure what he’s muttering - Yahaba pushes himself off of Kyoutani and stumbles to stand in the hot spring.

Kyoutani stares up at him, his eyes hazed over in desire and his lips red and slightly puffed from Yahaba’s kisses. He’s breathless, and that scowl of confusion is in place on his face, but Yahaba can’t explain with words. So instead, he gestures for Kyoutani to stand, and when he finally does, Yahaba wades through the water to stand before him.

Yahaba shakes his head and grabs Kyoutani’s hand when he reaches out for him, and he waits for Kyoutani to accept his silent guidance. Slowly, he pushes him back and gestures for him to sit on the edge of the pool. Kyoutani’s throat bobs, but he pushes himself out of the water and sits down, facing towards Yahaba with an intense focus.

Taking a deep breath, Yahaba moves to kneel where they’d been sitting between Kyoutani’s legs - and it’s not as uncomfortable as he’d feared for a moment despite being rocks. He keeps his gaze on Kyoutani’s cock, knowing that he’ll lose his resolve if he meets Kyoutani’s eyes in this moment.

“Yahaba,” Kyoutani says, voice husky and Yahaba shivers at the sound. “You don’t…”

He doesn’t finish the sentence, but Yahaba knew what he meant to say. Regardless, he ignores the statement and leans forward, opening his mouth and touching his tongue to the tip - salty, maybe more bitter than anything - making Kyoutani jump at the contact. Yahaba pauses, contemplating whether this is the best place to start.

Gulping, Yahaba leans further down, reaching a scarred hand to hold the base of Kyoutani’s twitching member before licking up the underside of the shaft. Kyoutani moans, hunching over in surprise and crowding Yahaba. His neck is burning now as well, but Yahaba simply reaches up with his other hand to push him back at his chest, keeping his eyes lowered still.

He doesn’t remove his hand from Kyoutani’s chest, the feel of it rising in falling from his ragged breathing somehow grounding him to the reality of what they’re doing. Yahaba moves his hand from the base and pumps a few times, thinking of what might feel good from there. Licking his lips, Yahaba leans forward again, dragging his tongue along the sides and around the head - all the while listening to the little bitten off moans and choked curse words from above him - before finally closing his eyes and relaxing his jaw as best as he can.

Kyoutani is thick - not especially long, but definitely not short. He’s obviously wet, though not just from the water. Still, it makes it easier, Yahaba figures, to bring his lips down the length and keep his teeth from grazing the sensitive skin. Kyoutani hisses at the contact, and Yahaba swallows down the saliva that’s pooled in his mouth - in turn, making Kyoutani moan louder than before. As he moves, his other hand falls from Kyoutani’s chest and rests on his thigh, rubbing circles close to his groin with his thumb.

Bobbing his head, Yahaba tries to find a movement that seems to be satisfactory to Kyoutani - unfortunately, Kyoutani has devolved to his own language and is muttering words to himself that Yahaba can’t understand. He hears the new word Kyoutani had used earlier a few times, but beyond that, he’s uncertain of if it even feels good.

Popping off, Yahaba pumps his hand again before looking up through his lashes to check on Kyoutani. He stops altogether when he sees the look on Kyoutani’s face.

Kyoutani’s face is burning red, his eyes wide and pupils completely blown as he stares down at Yahaba. His bottom lip looks even more raw than it had before from biting his lip to keep from moaning out loud. He’s gasping for breath, and his body is trembling in a way Yahaba’s never seen.

“Kyou—”

“ _Fisata_ , Shigeru,” he whimpers, and Yahaba gapes up at him, “where the _fuck_ did you learn this?!”

Yahaba can’t move, the sound of his name coming from Kyoutani - and not just normal Kyoutani, but a horny, trembling mess of a beast ready to burst - the last thing he expected. Kyoutani is still panting though, and he’s clearly waiting for an answer.

“I’ve… never done this before,” he admits, the shame evident in his voice. “I’m sorry, I—”

“ _Sorry_?” Kyoutani snaps, and Yahaba winces at the accusatory tone. “Fuck, Yahaba, you’re… you’re _amazing_...”

Yahaba gawks at him. “ _What_?!”

Kyoutani doesn’t say anything else, and his dick twitches in front of Yahaba again. He focuses in on it again and a strange, phantom throb presses in against his tongue, and the feeling is so specific, he feels the urge to try again. Yahaba leans in to take Kyoutani back into his mouth, sucking while his tongue presses up against the underside of the shaft once more, recreating the feeling and shivering at the sensation that spreads through his own body.

He feels Kyoutani’s fingers dig into his hair, and the touch brings another electric shock through his body, and Yahaba moans as he moves his mouth, eliciting a moan from Kyoutani as well. The pulsing flesh in his mouth jerks a little, and Yahaba opens his eyes to look back up at Kyoutani through his lashes. Kyoutani’s pushing his hair back, breaths uneven and heavy as he stares back. Yahaba flicks his tongue around one last time, and the twitch that responds brings Kyoutani’s release - along with the ejaculation that spills into Yahaba’s mouth.

Coughing, Yahaba pulls back and covers his mouth, uncertain of what to do. His mouth is full of the salty liquid, and he feels his eyes burn from the feeling. Kyoutani lets go of his hair, grabbing his shoulders instead and leans in close.

“Are,” he can’t seem to speak past his shaking breath, “are you okay…?”

Yahaba feels the cum shifting in his mouth and he can’t figure out what to do - spitting it out would put it into the hot spring and who knows if that will taint the clear, enchanted water. So he winces as he swallows, and Kyoutani’s eyes widen in shock.

Sticking his tongue out, Yahaba shakes his head. “I… I’m okay,” he manages, the taste still stuck in his mouth, “just… wasn’t ready…”

“Sorry,” Kyoutani mumbles, moving one of his hands to hold Yahaba’s face. “I was… distracted…”

Yahaba scoffs, giving a weak smile. “It’s okay, really,” he insists, and the phantom feeling of Kyoutani’s hard cock throbs within his mouth and against his tongue. Flicking his tongue along his teeth, Yahaba looks down at the water and quietly hopes he won’t feel like a dick is in his mouth all the time - part of him wonders if this means he enjoyed it more than he imagined he would.

“Where did you learn to do that?” Kyoutani quietly asks, pressing his forehead to Yahaba’s as he settles into the water again, standing close to Yahaba.

He can only shrug, still avoiding Kyoutani’s eyes. “I never learned anywhere…”

“That’s impossible, you would have choked if it was your first time.”

Yahaba feels the burn on his ears and he ducks his head down as much as he can. “Fine, then it was magic.”

“You can’t use magic,” Kyoutani argues and Yahaba finally meets his gaze, frowning at the second reminder.

“I know - it was a joke,” he snaps, pushing away from Kyoutani and climbing out of the pool.

“Yahaba—”

“Don’t,” Yahaba turns, glaring down at him, “I just… I can’t handle the constant reminders, Kyoutani.”

“I’m sorry,” Kyoutani says, and Yahaba takes in a quick breath while turning away, trying not to groan in frustration. “I… I didn’t think it would bother you so much,” he continues on, climbing out of the water to follow him.

Yahaba scowls, grabbing his pile of clothes and marching back into the room - the fire is still burning, and hasn’t moved from within the hearth. “Oh, I’m sorry - here, let me just magically get over the fact that I can’t use the one thing that’s been a constant in my life since forever!” He shouts back, and he hears Kyoutani scrambling to follow.

“Yahaba, I—”

“Stop,” he drops the clothes by the bed, rounding again on Kyoutani. “You don’t get it, and you never will. Beasts don’t have magic, so… so the only way you could is if you lost a limb,” Yahaba gestures to his own arm and shrugs, “but even then, you still wouldn’t get it.”

Kyoutani stares at him, his concern evident through the pinched way his eyebrows are pulling together - otherwise, Yahaba would argue he looks pretty angry. “Okay, I don’t get it and never will. But Yahaba, I…” He waits for Kyoutani to finish his sentence, but he seems at a loss for words.

Yahaba presses his lips together and nods, only for it to turn into a bob before shaking it slowly. “I’m sorry to snap at you, but just… try to understand, please?” He looks down at the cracking of his skin and is reminded again of how powerless he is now. “I… I need magic…”

Kyoutani steps up to him again, gently taking his wrists. “You’ll figure it out,” he whispers, and Yahaba snaps his eyes back up to Kyoutani’s face. “Your magic is too powerful to just be gone…”

“I was never powerful,” he mutters, and Kyoutani meets his gaze.

“You killed _yovoisuronal_ ,” Kyoutaini’s voice is soft, almost too quiet to hear, “you’ll have your magic back one day…”

“And until then?” He asks, and his voice is getting watery, his nose on fire and his vision beginning to blur.

“I’ll protect you,” Kyoutani reminds him, and Yahaba feels a wave of relief wash over him. “I won’t let anything happen to you, Yahaba.”

The pulsing in his mouth is distant now, barely noticable, and Yahaba can’t push back the smile that pulls at his lips. “Thank you, Kyoutani…”

Kyoutani’s smile is small and soft, but his face is calm - no anger or concern there any longer, and Yahaba wants to hold him and never let go. “ _Shenance har dem_ ,” he murmurs, and Yahaba has no idea what that means, but Kyoutani doesn’t let him ask; Yahaba hums at the soft kiss, closing his eyes and wrapping his arms around Kyoutani’s midsection, the warm press of his palms on his face keeping him from pulling away if he wanted to.

They’re quiet again after that, their skin damp as they climb into the bed to tangle their limbs up together once more. The kisses are soft, almost lazy, but their bodies are warm and Yahaba shivers at the feeling Kyoutani’s skin brushing against his. The arousal sits in his lower belly, never so much that it becomes bothersome, but simply a reminder of the things Kyoutnai does to him. There’s a press of something hard from Kyoutani as well, but he makes no move to alert Yahaba to it, and he chooses to remain content in the other man’s hold while the room grows dim over time.

Eventually the only light left for them is from the slowly dying fire Kyoutani had built, and they’ve finally stopped moving just so they could lie on their sides and look at one another. Yahaba’s heart slows to a normal beat for the first time that night, but the warmth that’s planted itself there has spread throughout him, and he can’t bring himself to think of what tomorrow will bring.


	25. Spring of Lome

It’s warm in the bed by morning, and Yahaba doesn’t want to move from his spot. Kyoutani’s skin is pressing against his, the sweat between their bodies sticking them together in ways that would make his skin crawl once upon time. However, Yahaba breathes in the husky smell of their bodies and pushes closer, unwilling to let the contact come to an end.

Kyoutani shifts with him, yawning a little as he tries to stretch his limbs beneath the blanket, breaking some of their contact. Yahaba frowns at the loss of warmth against his legs and rolls into Kyoutani’s side to find his legs again. He feels Kyoutani chuckling under his cheek, but Yahaba isn’t ready to open his eyes and glare up at the other man just yet.

“Smell good,” Kyoutani mumbles, his nose pressing into Yahaba’s hair. “No claim, but… getting there…”

Yahaba hums in reply, uncertain if Kyoutani was meaning to talk to him or if he was just talking out loud. “Good morning,” Yahaba breathes out, rolling his face to kiss at the light scars on Kyoutani’s chest, glancing to the blackened marks on the other side before pushing himself up and over Kyoutani to look down at him.

“Good morning,” Kyoutani replies, reaching up to caress Yahaba’s cheek. “Sleep good?”

“Fine, you?” He asks, smiling as he leans into Kyoutani’s touch.

Kyoutani grunts, his hand guiding Yahaba down to kiss him softly. Yahaba feels the creeping urge to drive forward and deepen the kiss, but his body is lethargic and he knows he’s not ready for more just yet. So he softly returns the kiss, crushing down his cravings for now. He leans back to kiss Kyoutani’s cheek before falling back onto the bed, sighing dreamily. 

Lying there for a moment, neither speak as they relax into the comfort of the bed. Yahaba feels himself about to drift again into sleep when a knock comes at the door, bringing him to sit back up. Glancing between themselves, Yahaba moves to stand from the bed, clumsily pulling on his clothes he’d left on the floor. Reaching the door, he opens it slowly and is met with an unfamiliar face.

“Oh, good morning,” she mumbles, bowing a little, “the king requests your presence in the great hall.”

Yahaba nods, trying to smile at the servant. “Thank you, we’ll be there shortly.”

She smiles back, hurrying off to complete any other duties she’d been given. Yahaba closes the door and turns to find Kyoutani pulling his clothes back on as well. Moving quickly, Yahaba joins him and finishes getting dressed as well.

Kyoutani is staring at him by the time he’s nearly finished shoving his feet into his boots, and Yahaba bites back his grin. “What…?” He’s chuckling, standing straight and he waits for Kyoutani’s answer.

He wasn’t expecting the other to take some of his hair between his fingers and examine it closer. “Hair is silver…”

Yahaba smacks his hand away before rushing to a reflective surface - not the mirror, never the mirror again, and it’s still covered from what Yahaba can tell - to try to see for himself. Kyoutani comes to stand behind him, but the reflective surface he found is a red vase and it makes it hard to tell for sure. “Shit, really…?”

“Strange,” Kyoutani nods, and Yahaba gapes at him through the reflection. “Still look nice…?”

“Why does that sound like a question?” Yahaba rounds on him, panicking a little.

“Always think you look nice,” Kyoutani grumbles, “what does silver change?” Yahaba gulps, uncertain of how to answer. Kyoutani doesn’t wait for an answer, kissing him quick and moving towards the door. “Little king is waiting…”

Nodding, Yahaba follows him and together they enter the hallway Yamamoto lead them down yesterday. They’re silent as they make their way through the castle back to where they’d first came from, and find most of their group waiting - the only one left seems to be Iwaizumi.

“Good morning,” Watari says to them, smiling as they come to join him in front of the throne. “Did you sleep well?”

“Basically,” Kyoutani grumbles, and Watari chuckles at the simple response.

Yahaba glances over to the throne where Kenma sits, his knees pulled to his chest as he stares at something in his hand. Kuroo stands at his side, a fond expression taking over his features while he watches Kenma. Leaving Watari to his conversation with Kyoutani, Yahaba moves closer to the throne and stands before the two, gaining their attention.

“Kenma, what’s the plan for today?” He asks, trying to fight the urge to be formal - Kenma seemed to grow awkward whenever formalities were used yesterday, and he wants to respect that as much as possible.

It seems to be appreciated, because Kenma unfolds and sits up in the throne, his clothes much less intricate than yesterday’s appearance. “Once Iwaizumi gets here, we’re going to discuss the Spring of Lome and what to fully expect,” Kenma explains, the spark in his hand disappearing with his attention gone from it.

Yahaba nods, wanting to ask about the spark but uncertain how to bring it up. “So… how much do we know about the Spring of Lome?”

“Unfortunately, not a lot,” Kuroo sighs, crossing his arms. “We’re lucky the castle isn’t lively right now; news of what happened in Snofugg yesterday has alerted the wizard high borns to act cautiously today.”

“Probably helps that Yaku advised the court for a lockdown with the storm that’s coming too,” Kenma mumbles, and Yahaba looks between them in confusion. “This is the time of year most winter storms hits us,” Kenma explains with a shrug, “we’re expecting a snowstorm soon.”

Yahaba frowns at the news, “won’t that give us trouble?”

“Not if we’re careful,” he doesn’t sound worried, but Yahaba still doesn’t like the idea of being out there during a storm.

Watari and Kyoutani have gone silent behind him, and he glances back to see them focusing on Kenma as well. Both of them turn to Yahaba, each with varying degrees of concern on their face - Watari seems more worried, though, and Yahaba doesn’t know what to say to alleviate either of their concerns. Iwaizumi steps through the archway they came from then, the frieze over this door depicting what Yahaba knows as the story of the first northern king, but even with that knowledge it doesn’t tell him what’s really going on beyond that.

Iwaizumi looks around at everyone and scoffs under his breath. “Sorry to keep you waiting,” he mumbles, going to stand at Kyoutani’s side, “didn’t sleep well…”

Yahaba watches him, and he can’t help but agree. Iwaizumi looks exhausted, and the more he thinks of it, Iwaizumi hasn’t slept much since they left Seijou. Suddenly, he’s worried about whether or not Iwaizumi should even join them, but he knows voicing the concern might be seen as an insult - Iwaizumi and Kyoutani have both shown signs of brushing aside any weakness as though it doesn’t exist during their travels, and while Kyoutani is more forthcoming with his issues, Yahaba knows it’s only because of their relationship.

Iwaizumi isn’t going to be open with the person who most likely caused his husband’s demise.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Kenma says, and everyone turns back to him. He’s focused on Iwaizumi, and his eyes are intense as he looks him over. “You’ll be fine though, I assume?”

“You tell me,” Iwaizumi huffs, crossing his arms and narrowing his eyes, “you’re the one who sees the future.”

Kenma nods, his gaze less intense as he scans the rest of their group. “The Spring of Lome is guarded by glacitors, but you’ve seen one of these already,” he starts, and waits for the group to nod before continuing. “They’re mostly on the outside, and the furthest I’ve been when it comes to making my way in.”

Yahaba gapes at him, “then… what else can we expect?”

“It’s not confirmed, but chiomes are also said to be within the walls of where the Northern Element of Water resides,” Kenma explains, and Kuroo nods beside him.

“Chiomes?” Kyoutani asks, tilting his head to the side in question.

“They’re small creatures,” Kuroo explains, holding his hands out in front of him to mime the size of them. “Made of ice, sneaky little bastards that can change their form and really fuck with you in any state of matter.”

Kyoutani, and now Iwaizumi, are looking at him in bewilderment and Watari snickers at their faces. They both glance to him and he smirks at them, “it means chiomes can be either liquid, gas, or solid depending on how they want to mess with us.”

“Their solid forms are almost always this big though,” Kuroo adds, holding his arms out again and it’s clear he’s trying to say they’re slightly larger than maybe his own head. “The solid forms are of ice, but sometimes they switch it up and go for snow - if you kick them when they’re snow, they won’t be able to reform for a little while because the snow bits went everywhere.”

“Why not when they’re ice?” Iwaizumi suggests, raising his brow. “They’ll shatter then, won’t they?”

Kuroo shrugs, grinning at him, “you can try if you want, their ice forms are _pretty_ solid.”

Iwaizumi grunts, nodding once in acknowledgement.

“Other than that, Water has no other violent creatures that we know of that could be in there,” Kenma murmurs thoughtfully, watching the way he twiddles his thumbs for a moment before nodding. “I’d still be on the alert - anything could happen, but glacitors and chiomes are our main obstacle.”

Kuroo hums and nods, scratching his chin, “well, other than the obstacles that are within the place.” Kenma turns to look at him, though it doesn’t seem he disagrees.

“You keep saying within,” Yahaba cuts in, and the childhood friends focus on him again. “Where is this place? Is it inside somewhere or…?”

“It’s…” Kenma hesitates, frowning when he tries to think of a way to describe it. “I guess… an ice temple?”

“Or cave,” Kuroo suggests, waving his hand in a “so-so” manner. “Either way, that teleportation spell can get us to the entrance, but not any further.”

“Why no further?” Kyoutani asks, and Iwaizumi nods alongside him.

“Teleportation spells only work if you know where you’re going,” Watari explains, and the two shift their gazes to him. “The user of the spell has to have been there before - King Kozume has been there.”

Yahaba still feels uneasy about this. “Teleportation spells are dangerous if you use them wrong, though… one wrong placement and you could phase through a wall and materialise in a place that splits you in half or with something impaling you.”

“Only if you’re off on the location,” Kenma reiterates, “otherwise you’ll be just fine; it’s a quick way to get around Nekoma without freezing.”

Watari hums his agreement, patting Yahaba’s shoulder. “Forgive his concerns - King Oikawa was always very adamant about the dangers of the teleportation spell and cautioned Yahaba not to use it.”

“I see,” Kenma murmurs, his intense eyes on Yahaba again. “I assure you, Shigeru - I won’t bring harm to any of us.”

Yahaba wants to believe him, can feel a calm sinking over him, but there’s still that constant worry in the back of his mind. Oikawa’s voice is calling to him, reminding him that even the greatest of wizards can make a mistake - “just be sure it isn’t a grave one,” Oikawa would finish with a laugh, but the threat was there every time.

“I… I trust you, Kenma,” Yahaba replies, and Kenma releases his gaze to watch his hands again. 

“We should get moving,” Iwaizumi cuts in, “I heard something about a storm coming, we shouldn’t waste time discussing things.”

Kyoutani shifts, turning fully to his leader with a frown, “Iwa—“

“I’m fine, Kyoutani,” Iwaizumi snaps, glaring at his little brother. “I don’t want to waste time on possibilities. We’re going there, whatever we face we’ll deal with when we get there.”

Kyoutani’s shoulders hunch, staring at his brother for a moment before he finally lets them sag. “ _Vluba, despavare faemn_...”

“Don’t mind,” Iwaizumi grunts, grabbing his shoulder and squeezing once before letting go. “Let's get moving,” he says to everyone else, but Yahaba focuses on Kyoutani’s back and the way he hangs his head a little. 

Kenma stands from his throne and steps down, Kuroo following after him. “Take my hand,” he says, and slowly holds out his hand to Yahaba. “Everyone else, take hold of Shigeru…”

Watari steps close and holds Yahaba’s shoulder, Iwaizumi stepping around to do the same. Kyoutani comes to his side and takes his other hand, and Yahaba hesitates on grabbing Kenma’s hand. Kuroo takes hold of Kenma’s shoulder, nodding to Yahaba encouragingly.

“I won’t harm you, Shigeru,” Kenma whispers, and Yahaba catches his gaze - the intensity is there again, and he wonders what Kenma’s magic is subtly doing to him. Yahaba gulps but he nods, finally bringing his hand over Kenma’s and grabbing it, and the second he does, the world twists.

Darkness overcomes them before the bitter cold slaps him in the face and the rushing of wind assaults his ears. Yahaba gasps, blinking to let the images come forth, and he sees a world of grey around them. Kenma drops his hand and turns, prompting Yahaba to do the same; his jaw drops as his gaze moves up.

They’re at the base of a mountain, and the others are coming out of their haze brought on by teleporting. Iwaizumi and Watari release his shoulder about the same time, gaping up at the mountain, but Kyoutani only tightens his hold on Yahaba’s hand. Yahaba winces against the wind as he glances to Kyoutani, the look he’s receiving silently asking him if he’s okay.

Nodding, Yahaba watches Kyoutani’s shoulders relax before Kenma turns back to everyone, his hands held out before him. Suddenly, the harsh wind stops, and it’s nearly silent around them - Yahaba shivers from the chill, his body finally registering that he’s no longer basking in the warmth of the castle.

“The cave is up there,” Kuroo explains, pointing up to a cliff on the side of the mountain. “Kenma can’t get us all the way up there, and he’s going to have to stay down here.”

Iwaizumi scowls, “why can’t he take us directly to the entrance?”

“Yeah, or even join us?” Watari adds, crossing his arms, though Yahaba thinks it may be because of the cold rather than any form of disagreement.

“Yaku said I could do this as long as I don’t get too close,” Kenma mumbles, ducking his head and allowing his hair to cover his face. “He… said a king shouldn’t involve himself in a death trap…”

“In case the glacitors come, I’ll be protecting him,” Kuroo continues, and Kenma snaps his attention to him. “What? You know how strong they are.”

“I can protect myself,” Kenma states, standing a little taller. “Go - help them get inside.”

“Kenma—”

“In fact,” Kenma whips back to look at Yahaba and his friends, “I’ll get you in front of the entrance, so long as you’re prepared to fight right away.”

“I—” Yahaba hesitates, uncertain of what to say.

“Do it,” Iwaizumi grabs his shoulder again, nodding for Watari to do the same, “we can’t waste time.”

Yahaba can’t speak, staring back at Iwaizumi before Kenma suddenly takes his hand, and before he can blink, they’re suddenly immersed in the wind again. it’s burning, like ice is cutting into his flesh, and Yahaba wonders if it’s gotten worse in the seconds they spent inside Kenma’s bubble - but the wind is the least of his worries when a glacitor slowly turns it’s big head to look down at them.

Kenma’s gone not a second later, Kuroo shouting something (though Yahaba can’t hear what over the flurry of wind) and Yahaba remains frozen in the spot as the glacitor’s big face shifts to suggest anger. Kyoutani’s shoving him into a wall then, a different glacitor’s fist smashing into the ground where they had stood when Yahaba turns back to see why he was shoved.

Kyoutani’s mouth is moving, but still Yahaba cannot hear, his ears burning with numbness. A light catches his eye and Yahaba watches Watari use a fire spell to melt the creature that nearly smashed him and Kyoutani into the ground. The warmth of Kyoutani’s hand leaves him then and Yahaba whips around to watch him leap at the second monster, kicking it’s head in the second Iwaizumi shatters it’s leg, sending the glacitor over the edge of the cliff.

Feeling useless, Yahaba looks around for the entrance of the cave and finds it on the other side of Watari and the slowly melting ice creature, Kuroo frantically waving at him. Pushing himself forward, Yahaba runs past Watari and the sweeping hand of his glacitor, getting low and sliding over the snow to avoid impact, standing straight again in time for Kuroo to grab his shoulders and throw him through the entrance. Stumbling over himself, Yahaba rolls within the cave entrance and he looks back to see Kuroo holding back the hand of a third monster.

He’s grunting with the effort, but Kuroo glares over at him and shouts “ _go_!” The sound reverberates against the walls of the entrance, and Yahaba can’t argue with that as he pulls himself up again. He doesn’t hesitate this time, turning his back on Kuroo and running through the cave as fast as he can.

It’s bright inside, almost like the snow glows in the rocks of the mountain side. Yahaba doesn’t stop though, hurrying his way along until his foot slips out from under him, and suddenly he’s sliding down the halls of the cavern - the rocks disappear the further down he goes, and ice crystals take over the walls of the cave. Yahaba tries to grab hold of a crystal, but his gloves slip and he can’t catch anything, his descent only stopping when he collides with a glowing ice wall, his entire left side screaming out in pain and all the breath in his lungs escaping him from the collision.

Groaning, Yahaba tries to pull himself up, slipping on the ice under his feet once before he finally finds his balance. Looking around, Yahaba’s jaw drops and eyes widen at the sight before him.

Despite the ice walls and floors, there were plants of all kinds growing in the cave. Their leaves were a blue tinted green, the flowers glowing in the darkness and giving the cave a beautiful hue of various colors. The light was faint, but Yahaba found he could truly see without issue despite how far down he’d fallen. Slowly, still gaping at the sight of the foliage, Yahaba begins to walk through the underground chamber.

There’s a thrumming of energy surrounding him, and Yahaba isn’t sure he understands what he’s feeling. It’s nothing like being amongst wizards, or even being around other magical creatures - the air feels warm but bitingly cold all at once, and Yahaba’s body isn’t sure it should shiver under the intensity of the feeling. He’s able to breathe clearly, the air smooth and rich, the scent of the flowers sweetening his senses and causing him to take in gulps of fresh air. He’s turning as he moves, wanting to take it all in before he goes through the archway across from him.

He doesn’t get far before he hears another grunt of someone crashing into the same wall. Yahaba quickly turns, finding Kyoutani getting to his feet, rubbing his hip and shaking his head frantically. “Kyoutani…?”

Kyoutani stops, focusing on Yahaba in surprise. Clicking his tongue, Kyoutani nods, “good. Found you…”

Yahaba stares at him, his brow furrowing. “What about Iwaizumi and Watari…?”

“They good,” he shrugs, stepping up to stand beside Yahaba, “I protect you.”

He feels the relief before he realizes he had been scared, and despite how calm he suddenly feels, Yahaba narrows his eyes into a glare. “I can handle myself!”

“No magic,” Kyoutani huffs, and Yahaba scowls deeper. “No time to argue - not safe without magic!”

“Shut up!” Yahaba shouts, pushing at Kyoutani’s shoulders “Oh my _gods_ , shut up!”

“Yahaba—”

“No! I,” Yahaba shakes his head, his eyes burning, “I don’t want to think about it!”

“You can’t protect yourself,” Kyoutani quietly reminds him, “please…”

“And what’s with you and Iwaizumi and this _time_ issue?” He snaps, and Kyoutani looks taken aback. “He keeps complaining about wasting time! What, is my pain of losing magic too much of a _waste of time_ to spend talking about?!”

“Yahaba—”

“So what’s the deal, huh?! Why are you both so—”

“ _Knock it off_!” Iwaizumi shouts, and Yahaba stops to look over Kyoutani’s shoulder. Iwaizumi is standing there, Kuroo and Watari just behind him - Yahaba hadn’t even noticed them make it down into the cavern. “You shouldn’t be arguing, you should be looking for _Lome_ ,” Iwaizumi states with no room for argument, and Yahaba feels his body shiver under the command, but not from intimidation.

He felt angry.

“What is your problem?” Yahaba grits through his teeth, and Iwaizumi’s brows raise in surprise. “Why are you in such a rush?”

“No kidding,” Watari grumbles, “look at this place - it’s _gorgeous_.”

Iwaizumi glances between the two wizards in confusion. “We’re here for one thing and nothing else - to find _Lome_.”

“ _Despavare faemn_ ,” Kyoutani starts, and Iwaizumi turns to him, “you okay…?”

“What…?”

“Seem… different,” Kyoutani shrugs, avoiding Iwaizumi’s eyes. “Not like Iwaizumi…”

Kuroo snorts and Iwaizumi rounds on him. He holds up his hands in minor surrender, a small smirk on his lips. “Your _daseve_ is not wrong, Iwaizumi - I barely knew you before our war, but even after I heard that you’re not usually so uptight and angry.”

Iwaizumi gawks at him before looking around at everyone else. “I…”

“Iwaizumi,” his gaze finally falls on Kyoutani, “your _vashuco_...?”

Yahaba barely remembers the word, but he knows they’re talking about Oikawa.

Kuroo sucks in a breath, and Iwaizumi drops his gaze to the floor. “Oh… I’m… sorry for your loss…”

“Shut up,” Iwaizumi whispers, “let’s get moving…”

Yahaba steps out of his way and watches him go, wishing he could say something. He can’t think of anything, and Kyoutani moving past him prompts him to keep moving. Barely a step is taken before the room begins to shake - at first, it’s not so bad, more like a slight vibration in the ground, but then it begins to throw him off balance and Yahaba has to hold out his arms and widen his stance to keep from falling over.

They’re all looking around, the quake getting worse by the second before the opening they all came through bursts open, followed by a glacitor hellbent on following after them.

Kuroo leaps at it, shouting for them to run, and Yahaba doesn’t wait to be told twice. He, Kyoutani and Iwaizumi start running, but Watari holds back, which makes Yahaba stop at the exit of the chamber they’re in.

“ _Watari_ —”

“ _I’m staying back, you go ahead_!” Watari yells back, and Yahaba feels Kyoutani pulling at him before he sees Watari turn back to help Kuroo with the giant, the crystal walls crushing under its bulky, sweeping arm.

Yahaba follows the forest tribe brothers through the halls of the cave, the air around them growing warmer the further they move before the walls open up again into another underground chamber. They all slow to a stop here, all three gaping at the room before them.

More plants like before line the room, but there are now pools of water surrounding them as well. There is steam coming from the water, and the ice they’d been running on doesn’t seem to exist in this room. It looks tropical, the room even brighter than before as light shines down on them from what almost appears to be a crystal blue sky with a blazing sun in the distance.

“H… how…?” Iwaizumi mumbles, twisting and turning about as he tries to look everywhere. “We’re underground, how is it…?”

“So bright,” Kyoutani points out, holding his hand over his eyes, “where light come from…?”

Yahaba can feel it still, only it’s grown more intense, and now he’s certain of the pulsing energy - it’s magic. Of course it’s magic, he’s known it the whole time, but the energy is so alive Yahaba isn’t sure of the source. It has to be Lome, though; there isn’t an ounce of wizard’s work here.

He just didn’t think an element of water could create so much life.

As he contemplates the idea of what the elements are capable of, the room begins to steam up further and further, and Yahaba squints as he tries to look at Iwaizumi and Kyoutani. Neither seem to notice, too drawn to the flowers and glowing pools of water - Yahaba wonders if maybe they’re enchanted in some way to keep unsuspecting people from going any further, and even then he’s not so sure.

But the steam is getting worse and quickly becoming more like a fog, and Yahaba leans forward to try to see through it. He thinks he seems Iwaizumi, but the moment he finally makes out the beast’s outline, something small is climbing up his back and Yahaba gasps before he feels the prick of something sharp at his neck.

He collapses in a second, alerting Kyoutani to shout, “Yahaba?!” before he hears another body crash. On the ground, Yahaba sees under the fog that Kyoutani has fallen, and a small creature chattering excitedly sitting on his back. He can’t move, and he can only stare at it as it quietly laughs.

The creature doesn’t seem to have a body, its round form is a simple block of ice with a large, sharp toothed grin. Yahaba doesn’t see the eyes, only it’s chattering mouth and the head has four appendages - two legs and arms - sticking out the side. He’d almost think of it like an egg, or a gnome even, but the creature is suddenly melting into liquid and Yahaba can only watch as it glides through the thin grass to where Iwaizumi stands, his stance on guard.

“Iwaizumi,” Yahaba calls out, “they’re chiomes!”

“Don’t let them cut you,” Kyoutani scowls, and Yahaba wonders if this inability to move is something the chiomes could actually do.

The liquid is dispersing into steam at Iwaizumi’s feet now, and Yahaba can only watch as it disappears into the cloud of fog above him. He wonders if Iwaizumi heard them when he hears the shattering of ice, chunks raining down from the cloud around Iwaizumi.

“ _Try if I want to_ , huh?” Iwaizumi scoffs, “not as tough as he made them out to be…”

Yahaba doesn’t get a chance to ask, the fog suddenly disappearing and immediately the solid forms of several chiomes - in his haste, Yahaba counts maybe thirty - all begin squealing as they converge on Iwaizumi, some having to fall to the ground and curry over to climb up his legs.

His body twitches, and Yahaba realizes he may be able to move now. It takes a lot of effort, but Yahaba pushes himself up and starts grabbing chiomes off of Iwaizumi’s body, throwing them into the hot water. They simply form into steam and shift back to the ice form to scurry back, now pounding their little fists on Yahaba’s legs, but Yahaba notes they aren’t trying to cut him.

Kyoutani is back up as well, smashing chiomes that come close to him. Iwaizumi is trying to do the same, some ice shattering while others are flung into the hot pools as well. “Yahaba!” Iwaizumi calls, and Yahaba kicks one away from himself (his toes sting at the contact, but it was worth it to see the little creature smash into a wall and crack) before glancing to Iwaizumi. “Get moving! Kyoutani and I will handle these!”

Yahaba wants to protest, but Kyoutani grabs his wrist and pulls him close. He’s not sure what’s happening until Kyoutani’s suddenly lifting him and Yahaba starts flailing before he feels his body being flung forward. Screaming, Yahaba holds his hands out and catches himself on the ground before turning back and gawking at Kyoutani.

“ _Go_!” Is all Kyoutani shouts before he returns to smashing chiomes, and Yahaba is starting to get tired of people yelling at him to keep moving.

But he doesn’t argue, and he hurries out of the room before any of the chiomes notice.

The next hall seems longer, and the sounds of Iwaizumi and Kyoutani crushing the chiomes grows distant the further he goes. Yahaba slows to a stop, wondering if he’s getting anywhere. The path turns down a slight slope, and Yahaba watches his footing as he goes, trying to ensure he won’t slip again.

Yahaba becomes aware of how his breathing has grown ragged, his heart racing from running, and he stops at the bottom of the little slope to catch his breath. The pulsing of magic has grown stronger, and Yahaba knows Lome is nearby.

A few steps more, and Yahaba finds himself at the entrance of ice crystals that looks as though it has been carved. The pillars are tall, glowing with the vibrating magic that hums as Yahaba steps through it, and he stops once he’s through, amazed at what lies before him.

The underground chamber is massive, a deep pool of steam water taking up the entire floor and steaming the area with heat. The walls are as intricately carved as the pillars of the entrance, and Yahaba isn’t able to recognise the stone carvings of the stories depicted there. It’s larger than the great hall of Nekoma’s castle, perhaps even Seijou’s, and the foliage looks overgrown as it hangs over the carvings - from the ceiling - within the water. Everything is sparkling, the flowers of the plants vibrant and as big as his head, little sparks of magic floating about the room within the steam of the hot spring. Before him is the beginning of a stepping stone path within the water, and it only goes about halfway into the spring before it just stops.

On the other side of the room sits a silver statue, it’s figure representing the Northern Element of Water.

Yahaba looks to the side to see if there’s something that will help him reach it and finds only more plants. Looking the other way, he again finds nothing to help. Sighing, Yahaba unclips his winter robe and lets it drop to the floor behind him before tossing his bag down as well. Bending down, he removes his boots and sets them aside, standing straight again and taking a deep breath.

Carefully, he steps out onto the first stepping stone and moves to stand on it completely. It’s too far away to take a simple step forward, but it’s large enough to stand on comfortably - so long as no one joins him. It’s wet, slick with warm water, and Yahaba nods to himself before stepping out to the next stone.

The second his foot leaves the first, the room shakes and the first stone disappears. Yahaba watches it go, worried he’ll have to swim for sure now. The rumbling doesn’t stop however, and Yahaba turns back to see a new stone forms where the other’s had stopped. Licking his lips, Yahaba nods to himself and proceeds forward.

Every stone he steps off of retreats into the depths of the water, and a new one replaces it out ahead of himself. It’s a slow process, and he’s sweating from the heat of the steam, but Yahaba eventually makes it half away before he hesitates.

This seems to be too easy, and Yahaba doesn’t like that thought. Gulping, Yahaba glances back to the entrance to see just how far he’s gone. It’s a good distance, and perhaps he is more than halfway there, but he still feels uneasy without any stones behind him. Turning back, Yahaba prepares to take the next step when the water seems to shift under him and immediately he’s slipping and crashing into the calm pool of hot water.

It’s like hands are gripping at him, and Yahaba holds his breath as he’s dragged under, trying to thrash against the pull but his body unwilling to move. He simply goes under into the dark depths, and Yahaba feels himself floating there, his lungs burning from the air he holds in.

Despite the ache in his lungs, his heart remains calm - calmer than it’s been since Kenma took his hand and they were immediately brought to the Spring of Lome. Yahaba wonders about that, trying to figure out why he feels so unconcerned with drowning.

Drowning wouldn’t happen if he had magic, though. With his magic, Yahaba could have skipped over the stepping stones entirely and just floated himself over to Lome. With his magic, he could have blasted the glacitors away and stopped the chiomes with a flick of his wrist. With his magic, he wouldn’t need Watari or Kenma to alter the size of Oikawa’s table.

With his magic, Oikawa could have lived.

“ _Magic is a fickle thing_ ,” he remembers once, and Yahaba looks up to see a blurry figure, “ _not everyone is very good at it, but everyone is capable._ ”

He floats down, only instead of his head hitting the floor, Yahaba’s feet meet the floor of Oikawa’s bedchamber. “Yeah, except not everyone is powerful like you,” he says, watching his teacher move books around on his map. He looks around, recalls this memory - Oikawa had only been king for three weeks. His own hands are clean, not a trace of the Hollow Body Phantom to be found.

“True, though what makes a wizard powerful isn’t their status or their bloodline,” Oikawa hummed, smiling over at him, “it’s the moon.”

“The moon?” Yahaba repeated, rolling his eyes. “This again?”

“Don’t mock me, my precious student,” Oikawa chastised, and Yahaba sighed. “You should know by now that the moon’s presence during a wizard’s birth determines just how much magic she graced them with!”

Yahaba gives him an unimpressed look just like he did that time, “you were born during a Supermoon, Oikawa - I was born during the day.”

Oikawa laughs, “and yet you’re so powerful!”

That’s not how this went. “How can I be powerful when I have no magic?” Yahaba asks though, looking down to find the gloves. “The Hollow Body Phantom took it away…”

“You know that’s not true,” Oikawa says, and Yahaba looks up to find Oikawa standing close. “You’re like this because you brought me to my death.”

Yahaba frowns, “I… I didn’t mean to…”

The room is shifting, and Yahaba can hear a faint rain outside against the window. Oikawa’s form flickers before he’s standing over a cauldron. It seems familiar, and he wonders what it is about this that feels familiar. “Dying wouldn’t be so bad,” Oikawa said, and Yahaba shivers at the words - recalls this moment.

“You would want to die?” Yahaba asked, and even now he can’t figure out where this came from.

Oikawa dropped something into the cauldron, silent as he thought of an answer. “Only if it was right,” Oikawa settled on, turning to Yahaba. “Maybe for love?”

Yahaba had chuckled, and he suddenly remembers that Kyoutani had been there - standing in the corner, silent and unwatching in his brainwashed state. “Are you in love, Oikawa?”

“Who knows,” Oikawa had sounded far off, his eyes distant as he looked at the window where it rained. “Do you think he’d mind?”

Again, that didn’t happen, but Yahaba responds anyway. “Don’t throw yourself away for love, Oikawa…”

Oikawa turns to him, face blank and looking hollow. “Yet you made me have to choose, didn’t you?”

“I…”

“I’m dead because of you,” Oikawa says, stepping closer again, his eyes empty, “dead because you couldn’t lie properly - because you run your mouth too much.”

Yahaba stares at him, unable to move, unable to think. His hands are burning, his magic suddenly there but having nowhere to go. “I…”

Oikawa’s reaching out to him, “you blame the Phantom for your inabilities but it’s all your fault, Yahaba.”

Suddenly, Kyoutani’s grabbing Oikawa’s wrist and snarling at him. “Back off,” he says, and Oikawa shrinks away. 

“Unusual choices,” Oikawa whispers, and Kyoutani snarls again. Yahaba’s not sure what choices he means, but he can’t find his voice to ask. “Very unusual,” Oikawa says again as he starts to step away, looking between them. Kyoutani remains at his side, and Oikawa eventually fades away again.

Yahaba gapes at Kyoutani, watching him turn toward him and seeing the shift of the room once more.

Kyoutani’s appearance changes as well, and Yahaba is reminded of his coronation ceremony. They’re standing apart from one another, before Kyoutani asked, “Yahaba okay?”

Yahaba watches him step closer, and knows what he said next. “If Iwaizumi died and you were forced to take his place as leader, how would you feel?”

Kyoutani shook his head, the same words as that time as he said, “Kyoutani… _I_ would do all that I can for my people…”

“But how would you feel?” Yahaba asked, keeping the memory going.

Kyoutani stared at the ground between them. “Guilty…”

It’s not what he’d said, but Yahaba sucks in a deep breath anyway. “Why…?”

“Because I couldn’t save him,” Kyoutani answers, finally meeting Yahaba’s eyes. “But I won’t let Iwaizumi die - not like you let Oikawa die.”

Yahaba feels his heart race. “Do you blame me…?”

“No.”

“Does Iwaizumi…?”

“Probably,” Kyoutani shrugs, “but who knows what he thinks; he isn’t in his right mind.”

Yahaba nods, and it’s silent between them. “Should… should I feel guilty?”

“Do you?”

Yahaba doesn’t know how to answer, and suddenly his chest is burning and he’s choking on water, the vision returning to the darkness of the water he floats within. He still can’t move, but Yahaba doesn’t think he’d really be able to. He sees Kyoutani, and he wonders if it’s going to be another vision that was delayed by his lack of oxygen.

So he holds his arms out to the image of Kyoutani, his vision growing dark around the edges as his lungs fill with water, and Kyoutani swims closer still, grabbing him roughly and yanking on him, pulling him close and kissing him. Yahaba feels the rush of air, wonders what’s happening when Kyoutani pulls back and points up.

Nodding, Yahaba starts kicking his feet, the water’s hold no longer there. His hand is itching, and his magic is pushing at his skin, and Yahaba doesn’t feel they’re moving for all the kicking they’re doing. It burns, but Yahaba holds his hand out toward their feet and pushes the magic out - it stings, and rips away the cloth of his glove, but they’re being propelled up and that’s all Yahaba can ask for.

They break the surface of the water with gasps for air, Yahaba coughing a little before Kyoutani drags them over to the place Lome rests.

“Are you okay?!” Iwaizumi calls, and Yahaba struggles to pull himself up onto the platform before Kyoutani pushes him up.

Looking back and still gulping down air, Yahaba nods and holds his thumb up. Iwaizumi seems to relax, watching Kyoutani pull himself up as well. “Killed chiomes,” Kyoutani rasps, coughing a little himself, “been a while since you left, so we followed…”

“How long…?” Yahaba manages to mumble, and Kyoutani shakes his head.

“Not sure,” he wipes the water from his eyes, “long enough to know you weren’t okay…”

Yahaba nods, catching his breath. “What did you see?” Kyoutani grunts, an unasked question of what he means. “When you were under the water… what did you see?”

Kyoutani shakes his head. “Nothing, just you floating there…”

Yahaba doesn’t respond, just focuses on his breathing.

“Yahaba…?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Yahaba murmurs, turning to look back at the silver statue. “We have Lome, let’s get back to Kenma…”

Kyoutani doesn’t say anything, watching Yahaba grab for the Northern Element of Water. Holding it close, Yahaba glances to where Iwaizumi is and makes a quick decision. Grabbing Kyoutani’s shoulder, he uses the teleportation spell.

It’s a moment of darkness - not as quick as when Kenma uses it and clearly full of last minute hesitation - but eventually they appear in front of Iwaizumi, making him jump back in surprise.

Kyoutani’s staring at him slack jawed and Iwaizumi raises his brows in question. “I,” Yahaba shrugs, “I guess I have magic again…” Iwaizumi hums his agreement, but Kyoutani continues to stare. Unwilling to question why, Yahaba stands and starts to gather his things, shoving Lome into his bag before shouldering it. “Let’s get going,” he says, and Iwaizumi nods once before taking off down the hall.

Yahaba moves to follow, but Kyoutani grabs his bicep and pulls him back. “Yahaba,” he starts, voice worried, and Yahaba turns to him in question. “Your hands…”

Looking down, Yahaba notices exactly what he’s talking about. The ripping sensation hadn’t just been his gloves - it had been his flesh as well. Hissing at the sight, Yahaba feels his hands begin to throb with pain. “ _Shit_ ,” he moans, holding his hands close to his chest.

Kyoutani doesn’t seem to know what to do. “Should we…?”

“We,” Yahaba flinches as another pulse of pain shoots through his arm, “we have to keep moving…”

“We get Watari?”

“Yeah,” Yahaba wheezes out, turning to the pillared entrance, “we get Watari…”

They both start running, the slight slope a little hard to climb but eventually they meet up with Iwaizumi who had waited in the room where they’d met the chiomes. Yahaba sees the shards of ice, but he doesn’t stop to inspect it all. He passes Iwaizumi and he hears him start to run with them, hurrying through the halls as quickly as he can.

The room they’d left Watari is completely smashed to pieces, the plants that had been in there barely clinging to their lights under the ice that had fallen on top of them. The glacitor is shattered, and some crystal walls are melted. Kuroo is leaning over Watari, and Yahaba comes to freezing halt when he sees his friend.

Watari is lying lifeless on the ground, face pale and no rise or fall to his chest to suggest any breathing.


	26. Guilt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't sleep, have a chapter.

His clothes are damp, but there is no water around him. Yahaba doesn’t know what to make of that, only that Watari isn’t moving and this can’t be good. He rushes to his side, and Kuroo jumps out of the way as Yahaba hovers over his friend in worry.

“Watari…?” He asks, not wanting to admit what this looks like. He pats Watari’s cheek in attempt to wake him, and it’s clear how cold Watari is when his fingers graze his skin. Hissing at the frozen flesh, Yahaba pulls back and gapes up at Kuroo. “What…?”

“I have no idea what that thing was,” Kuroo admits, voice strained. “One second, he’s melting away the glacitor that came crashing in here, the next he’s being dragged to the ground and it looks like he’s choking…”

Iwaizumi kneels down by Watari’s head and presses his fingers to his pulse point, trying to feel for anything. “It… it’s faint, but we might lose him completely if we don’t do something,” he looks to Yahaba, “he’s wet too, must be some kind of creature we don’t know about that was trying to drown him.”

Kuroo nods, “that’s what I thought; when I grabbed him the water dispersed and left, so I first thought maybe it was a chiome but they don’t usually run like that or leave their victims soaking wet…”

Yahaba shakes his head, “I don’t care _what creature_ drowned him! We need to save him!” Without waiting for any response from his companions, Yahaba hovers his hands over Watari’s chest and uses the only spell Oikawa claimed he would master with no problem the first go around - resuscitation.

He’s never tried it, never had a reason to, but Oikawa made sure he knew the way this spell worked. To start, he couldn’t be panicking - which seemed difficult at this very moment, but Yahaba would do his best for Watari’s sake - and he would need to make sure he knew what it was that brought his patient to need reviving.

The spell also wouldn’t work if the person had been lying dead for several hours; Yahaba knew Watari hadn’t been this way for long, that would be impossible. The spell would work its way in and help kickstart Watari’s breathing, bring his heart rate back up, and remove anything that may have blocked his breathing. It would almost be like dipping his fingers into Watari’s chest cavity, and if he moved the wrong way even once, it would potentially do more harm than good.

Which is why he needed to calm his own heart and tell himself that everything would be okay.

Taking a deep breath, Yahaba tries his best to keep the shaking in his hands down and begins to mumble the spell quietly. The words roll of his tongue without meaning, and he closes his eyes when he feels it take over - the sinking of his extended magic dipping its way into Watari’s chest, snaking its way through to the water and bringing it out slowly to make way for the airflow. Yahaba releases his breath when he feels the slow pulse of Watari’s heart in his hands, and the lungs that struggle to take in any oxygen. Trying not to rush, Yahaba helps the organs along while continuing to push the offending water away, his breathing matching the slow movements as he takes in deep breaths and releases them one by one. Only once he’s heard the start of a cough does Yahaba remove his magic from Watari’s chest, and as soon as he releases the spell he hears Watari coughing more roughly, trying his best to breathe.

Watching him, Yahaba feels his hands return to shaking, the thrumming of his magic trying to release itself again ripping away at his flesh and he holds his arms close to himself. He doesn’t have the time to worry about himself, Watari’s still struggling to breathe.

“Sl-slowly, Watari,” Yahaba says, putting a shaking hand to his friend’s shoulder. Watari’s eyes widen at his touch and he gasps for air, staring up at Yahaba with red eyes, tears falling in pain. “You have to breathe slowly…”

Nodding, Watari takes a deep breath and tries to break away from the frantic short breaths he’d been having in response to the resuscitation spell. His breathing evens out, though with a few more coughs still, but eventually he’s able to relax and settle down again.

“Wha,” he shakes his head, “what happened…?”

“Something got you,” Yahaba explains, shaking his head with uncertainty, “tried to drown you… I used the resuscitation spell on you…”

Watari blinks up at him, tears still spilling from his eyes. “You… you did?”

Yahaba nods, “I… I have magic again, I guess.”

Grinning weakly, Watari gives a small laugh. “That’s good to hear…”

Iwaizumi scoffs above them and they both look to him. “What good is your magic if it’s ripping away at your arms like that?”

Watari slowly turns back to Yahaba in confusion, and though he tries to sit up, he seems unable to bring himself to do so. “Yahaba…?”

Kyoutani is at Yahaba’s side then, gently holding his elbows just above where the tearing starts. “No more - no magic,” he firmly says, a determined expression taking to his eyes. “Yahaba in pain, no more magic.”

Kuroo huffs, “then how do we get out of here? The only exit was destroyed by the glacitor that crashed in here and the only wizards who could magic us back to Kenma aren’t exactly up to using a teleportation spell…”

Kyoutani and Iwaizumi exchange a look, and Yahaba can only guess that neither of them have an idea of the best way out of here. Biting his lip, Yahaba looks back to Watari and sees the way his skin pales again and how his eyes flutter closed. Uncertain of what it could mean exactly, Yahaba stands and moves a few feet away from his companions, digging out the statue for the Northern Element of Water.

Setting it down, Yahaba doesn’t hesitate to use a simple water spell to encase the figure and waits for the reaction. Lome doesn’t make him wait long - immediately, the simple spell he used explodes out and water shoots out from the statue, spilling over the floor and flooding it quickly. He hears someone rush forward and only assumes that someone grabbed Watari from the ground when they realized what was happening.

The water is steaming hot, melting some of the ice away from the crystalised walls, but Yahaba stands his ground as he waits for the element to speak to him like Shen did.

He thinks he sees the shadows of a face in the geyser in front of him when a soft voice speaks within his mind. “ _Shigeru, is it_?” Yahaba doesn’t know how to answer, so he simply nods. “Shen _sent you, and rightfully so_ ,” the voice is calming, although heavy and swaying within his mind, “ _my fellows still need to be found, and you are on the right path… but first, my children have trapped you, haven’t they_?”

Yahaba gulps and answers softly, “yes…”

“ _My apologies, allow me to save you and your fellows - just this once,_ ” there’s a chuckle in the voice, “ _Tooru also needed saving once,_ Shen _had taken a liking to him_...”

Yahaba gapes at the shadowed image, “how… how do you know Oikawa?”

“ _Tooru is a good man_ ,” the voice hums thoughtfully, “ _helping where it is needed in this world…_ ”

“He,” Yahaba shakes his head, “he’s gone…”

The voice doesn’t respond, and Yahaba wonders if he’s offended the Northern Element of Water just before the water suddenly rises and pushes him up, and he hears the others shout behind him. The shadow drops as the water rises even higher, and Yahaba finds he doesn’t struggle to keep his head above it. He’s being pushed up higher and higher, and Yahaba feels his stomach drop as the speed picks up, and before he knows it, the light is gone and they cold wind is slapping him in the face as he is shot out of the cave, everyone shouting behind him.

They land in the snow, and it’s such a shock to suddenly go from the warmth of the water to being encased in snow, but Yahaba doesn’t care to worry about it. Shaking the snow away, Yahaba shivers and pulls himself out of the bank, looking around for the others.

Kuroo is groaning not too far from him, his lower half stuck in the deep snow and he struggles to pull himself out. Iwaizumi is close by, rolling onto his back with a pained cough, the snow clinging to his clothes as he moves. Kyoutani is brushing snow from himself, cradling Watari to his chest, who looks to have gone unconscious since Yahaba stepped away from him.

Noticing that the statue isn’t among them, Yahaba begins to panic, turning around himself to see if it landed nearby. The wind is stinging at his eyes, and snow is rushing down in large flakes and threatening to smash into his skin as he turns. He finds Kenma rushing over to them before Lome’s statue lands at his feet.

The same geyser from before comes, though it’s smaller and the shadow isn’t as easy to see with the wind blurring his vision. “ _Rush home, Shigeru_ ,” Lome says, “ _your friend needs treatment - resuscitation is not going to save him again_.”

Without waiting for Yahaba to even respond, the water abruptly stops and the statue lies frozen in the snow. Kenma makes it to them then, his hand held up to try to stop the snowstorm from assaulting his face.

“ _What happened_?!” He shouts, and Yahaba finds it difficult to look back at him. Kenma doesn’t wait for an answer, simply pulls Yahaba over to the others and gestures for him to grab the statue. Once he does, he feels someone pull on him again and suddenly they’re teleported back to the castle’s great hall.

His ears are ringing from the rushing wind suddenly coming to a stop, and his body trembles from the change in temperature again. He’s soaking wet, his arms are stinging, and the statue is freezing in his hold. Kyoutani drops his hold from Yahaba’s shoulder to better cradle Watari, dropping down to his knees to rest him against the floor.

Watari’s breathing has become raspy, and his skin has gone white with blue veins creeping up the back of his neck towards his face. He looks in pain, but also as though he’s asleep, only dreaming of this pain he fights against. His body is shivering and Yahaba stares down at his friend, unable to do anything.

It’s frightening, not knowing what could save his friend.

Kenma shifts to face Kuroo, “get Yaku - he’s been infected by Watery Grave.”

Kuroo stands at once, rushing from the room. Iwaizumi kneels beside Kyoutani, helping to gently place Watari onto the floor. “What do you mean Watery Grave?”

“I think your people call it _Zuex_ ,” Kenma says, and both forest tribe beasts flinch at the word, “it’s a creature that feeds off of negative feelings, making you relive memories and twists them to build up your negative emotions. In the meantime, it slowly drowns you.”

Yahaba gapes at him, “Watery Grave…?”

Kenma turns to Yahaba with a questioning look. “Yes… did you face one as well?”

He’s not sure. Yahaba gulps, looking to the tearing of his skin and Kenma glances down as well. “I… I might have, but I’m not like Watari is right now…”

“Watery Grave doesn’t always drown people,” Kenma explains, “sometimes it backfires and the person lets go of their negative feelings.”

Yahaba turns back to Watari, wincing when his body convulses on another shiver, and he worries that his friend won’t make it out of this. “You said he was infected - infected how, exactly?”

“That, I’m not sure,” Kenma admits, “Yaku knows more about this stuff than I do. He’ll be able to treat the infection.”

Yahaba nods just as Kuroo comes running into the room, pulling Yaku behind him. Yaku’s beast, ‘Eleven’, is close behind. Yahaba watches them run over, Yaku’s expression changing from anger towards Kuroo to worry when he finally sees Watari. “Gods, please tell me no one’s used magic on him,” Yaku says, kneeling down to touch his face.

“I - I did,” Yahaba admits, and Yaku twists to glare at him. “I… I didn’t know what to do! I tried to resuscitate him!”

“I also teleported him here,” Kenma adds, and Yaku snaps his glare onto him. “I had no idea he was infected, and Shigeru didn’t know what was wrong.”

Yaku sighs and nods, “fine, what’s done is done,” Yahaba feels his shoulders sag in response, “just no one use magic on him anymore!” Yaku stands and gestures to ‘Eleven’, “Lev, take him to my room immediately!” The tall beast steps closer, going to grab Watari when Yaku clicks his tongue, “ _gently_ , please! And start a fire in the hearth when you get there.”

Lev stops and hesitates before trying again, taking Watari into his arms much more gently. He stands quickly before turning away and leaves without a single word, his eyes still dead to this world. Kuroo turns to follow after, and Yahaba wants to follow as well.

“I need to speak with Shibayama,” Yaku says, turning to Kenma, “he should have a remedy ready, or at least the supplies to help with this.” Kenma nods and Yaku disperses immediately into nothing.

Kyoutani and Iwaizumi stand and look at Yahaba, but he can’t meet their eyes. Kenma moves to stand before him and, with a wave of his hand, removes the snow and wetness from Yahaba’s clothes. “Are you alright?”

Yahaba shifts his jaw, wondering what the real answer is. Sighing, Yahaba shoves the statue of Water into his bag and lifts his hands to show the tearing to Kenma, who takes one of his wrists gently into his hand to look closer.

“Magic is a part of who you are,” Kenma murmurs, and Yahaba slowly brings his gaze up to meet Kenma’s. “If you are happy, it flows easily and without problem. If you’re angry, it becomes harsher, almost like you’re breaking a vase you’ve thrown. Sadness, it’s smaller or timid, like it doesn’t want to show itself… but guilt, or feeling worthless… it can put a block up, make it hard to use magic like you normally would.”

Oikawa’s lectures flood his mind, the constant reminders that Yahaba’s magic needed to be treated with care, just like his own mental health. He never took it seriously, never considered that his mood would actually affect his magical abilities. But it has, Kenma’s words reminding him of the instances where his magic reacted to his moods - things were sluggish after he thought Terushima had rejected him, and perfectly smooth when things were going well during his lessons with Oikawa. His magic was more powerful when angered during the fight with Ito and Sato, or when he shut Matsukawa out after finding out he put an illusion spell on Kyoutani without telling him.

Kenma slowly moves the cloth that was torn to better look at the scarring on Yahaba’s wrists. “Forcing magic can harm you… best to do away with these negative emotions and work towards accepting what happened.”

“But,” Yahaba’s voice cracks, and now his nose is burning and his eyes sting, “but I can’t accept it… Oikawa is dead because…” He shakes his head, trying to figure out a way to say this properly. “I could have done something, but—”

“It wasn’t your fault,” Iwaizumi says, and Yahaba whips around to look at him in surprise. “It wasn’t your fault that the Magic Council burned him alive; Oikawa made that choice himself. He could have ran, or fought them, and he’d still be here,” Iwaizumi glares at the floor, his eyes glossing over, “but no. He stood his ground and let it happen, and there was nothing the rest of us could do…”

Yahaba stares at him, a tear rolling down his cheek. “It was my fault they even found out though…”

Iwaizumi shakes his head, “it was Matsukawa who confirmed their suspicions, you wouldn’t have made a difference… and even then, they were going to find out. Oikawa had been preparing for it since the day he told me he loved me.”

Kyoutani steps forward, and Yahaba turns his focus onto him instead. “Yahaba did nothing wrong,” he whispers, putting his hand to Yahaba’s back, “nothing to be done… Oikawa gone, not your fault…”

Yahaba pulls out of Kenma’s gentle hold with ease and turns into Kyoutani’s embrace, pressing his face into his shoulder. Kenma’s magic must have dried him as well, because his clothes are warm and perfectly soft rather than damp. Closing his eyes, Yahaba feels more tears fall as he wraps his arms around Kyoutani’s middle, taking in a shaking breath when he feels Kyoutani’s hand run back and forth over his back.

“With the way your magic is,” Iwaizumi starts to say, but Yahaba doesn’t look up, “I don’t think you should use your magic again anytime soon…”

He wants to argue it, but Yahaba knows he’s right; he could destroy all feeling in his arms if he continues like this. Kyoutani grunts his agreement, the sound tickling Yahaba’s ear where it rests against Kyoutani’s throat.

“The best thing to do now would be to rest,” Kenma suggests, and finally Yahaba pulls back a little to glance over at the King of Nekoma. “Rest for a few days, work out your feelings, and work your way back to being able to use your magic. The storm is only just beginning, and I’d hate for you to start journeying again so soon.”

Nodding, Yahaba drops one arm to full face Kenma, staying in Kyoutani’s hold as much as possible. “Thank you, Kenma…”

“Of course, Shigeru,” Kenma smiles, but it looks tired. “I can show you to Yaku’s chambers, so you know where to find Watari, if you’d like?”

He nods again, trying to smile back. “That would be nice, thank you.”

“I’ll have to pass on that,” Iwaizumi interjects, and they all look to him, “I need to speak with Kyoutani.”

Kyoutani stands a little straighter at this. “Iwaizumi…?”

“Come with me, _desava faemn_ ,” Iwaizumi says, gesturing towards the archway they came through that morning. “We have much to discuss…”

Kyoutani hesitates, glancing back to Yahaba. Yahaba does his best to smile, “go, Kyoutani… I’ll be with Watari…”

He doesn’t move, looking between his eyes before finally nodding a little. “Okay, be safe…”

“I will be,” Yahaba removes his arm from around Kyoutani, watching him move over to Iwaizumi who leads the way down the hall. He only stops once to look back at Yahaba for a moment, but he doesn’t stay long, disappearing down the hall with his brother.

Kenma hums quietly, drawing Yahaba’s attention to him. “They’re very close, aren’t they?”

Yahaba shrugs, “I guess so… I’ve actually never really seen them talk much.”

“They trust one another wholeheartedly,” Kenma murmurs, smiling softly at where they’d gone, “the word _faemn_ means brother, and you only use it with the person you truly consider your brother - your most trusted tribe members.”

Yahaba perks up at this, “do… do you know what _desava_ means, or why Iwaizumi and Kuroo call him that?”

Kenma frowns, contemplating the word for a moment before shaking his head and looking back to Yahaba. “I’m not sure, the dialects are different between the beasts and Kuro has only taught me so many words… I mainly know _faemn_ because he only calls Kai, Fukunaga, Lev, and Inuoka that in their tribe…”

Yahaba sighs, “I see… are Kai and Inuoka his brothers that haven’t been captured then?”

Kenma chuckles, “yes, Kai is his second and Inuoka is their healer. Have you met any of Iwaizumi and Kyoutani’s tribe members?”

“Only two others,” Yahaba says, and Kenma gestures for him to follow when he turns away. They begin to walk side by side down a different hall, the windows they pass showing the storm raging outside. “Hanamaki, who is Iwaizumi’s second, and Kunimi, who is their healer…”

“Were they kind?” Kenma asks, and Yahaba’s brow scrunches in confusion. “I only ask because Kuro has said some nasty things about his enemies before…”

“Yes,” Yahaba nods, “they were very kind… Hanamaki was trying to learn Wizard language on his own without the help of a spell.”

Kenma shakes his head, “it’s very difficult for anyone to truly learn the other language I’m afraid…”

“He seemed determined,” Yahaba comments, glancing around the hall at the paintings. They were bright, some done mostly in red hues for the colors of Nekoma. “How did you and Kuroo speak with one another before he was captured?”

“We didn’t,” Kenma mumbles, tugging on his sleeve suddenly. “He mostly brought me things, or took me to places that were interesting when he thought I was sad…”

Yahaba isn’t sure what to say when they come to a stop. “Kenma…?”

“This is Yaku’s room,” he says, nodding to the door they’ve stopped in front of. “I have to go - I can already tell that Nekomata is looking for me…”

He doesn’t get a chance to say anything, Kenma simply disperses into thin air and Yahaba sighs. Shaking his head, he turns to the door and knocks once before it opens to Lev, who’s staring down at him blankly and blocking the entrance.

“Lev, let whoever it is in!” Yaku calls from within, voice tinged a little with irritation. Lev steps out of the way and Yahaba slowly walks in, watching the controlled beast with sadness. “Oh, Yahaba, it’s you,” Yaku says, bringing Yahaba’s attention to him. The room is cluttered with books and objects he doesn’t recognise, and far too small to belong to the Hand of the King, but Yaku is smiling over at him from where he sits over the bed that Watari is lying in. The fireplace is right beside them, the fire that burns within a blazing heat that takes over the room. “He’s stable,” Yaku sounds confident and satisfied, and it brings and ease to Yahaba’s nerves as he steps closer. “He should be fine by morning.”

“Thank you,” Yahaba mumbles stepping closer at a slowed pace. The door closes behind him, and he glances back to see Lev watching him. “Is… is this really your room?”

Yaku frowns, “what do you mean?”

“Lord Matsukawa’s room is much bigger than this,” he admits, looking around a little more. There’s a second floor, but it looks just as cluttered as the rest of the room. “So I… I didn’t think the Hand of the King would have such a small room…”

Yaku huffs, rolling his eyes, “I don’t _need_ an extravagant room to do my job; this has been my room since I first moved to the castle to help Kenma with his magic when he was just a prince.”

Yahaba finally makes it through the clutter to stand opposite Yaku at Watari’s bedside. “Were you offered a different room?”

“Of course,” Yaku shrugs, “I just didn’t want it. This is fine, really…”

“It’s,” Yahaba bites his lip, looking around at the mess, “uh…”

Yaku scoffs, waving his hand, “it’s a mess, I know - _Lev_ knocked into something when I asked him to grab a specific book and it happened to be my infinite storage. The thing is broken now and I have yet to fix it…” Yaku glances behind Yahaba and clicks his tongue, “oh calm down, Lev! I know you didn’t mean to!”

Yahaba stares over at the beast, who is now staring at the floor, almost in shame. “Is… is he…?”

“He’s not free, if that’s what you’re going to ask,” Yaku sighs, standing to go over to the tall man. “He’s… almost free, I suppose…”

“Almost…?”

“I started to free him, but I stopped after the first one because of how his vitals were reading out,” Yaku gestures to something above Watari, and Yahaba has no idea what it is. “He can only think for himself right now, but I was too scared to keep going… I would hate to kill the poor kid…”

Yahaba stares at the weird thing, not sure what to make of it. It looks to be some kind of machine that came from the Isle of Iron, but Yahaba really wasn’t sure. Glancing back to Yaku, he finds him patting Lev’s shoulder, which allows the beast’s face to relax back to the regular blank stare. “So Watari is okay…?” Yahaba glances back down to his friend, finds that he’s sweating profusely and begins to worry. He himself starts to feel sweat as well, the heat of the fire intense beside them.

“Will be, yeah,” Yaku looks over Lev once more before turning to Yahaba. “He should be awake in the morning, and you can visit then. I don’t recommend him moving for a day or two though, just to be sure the infection is gone.” Yaku returns to the bedside and nods towards the fire. “Lev made a good, strong fire - Watari will be sweating it out all night long.”

Nodding once, Yahaba gives his best smile to Yaku, and for once that day, it feel real. “Thank you for saving him.”

“No problem,” Yaku chuckles, wiping at his brow. “Watery Graves aren’t very common, but I’m always prepared to face them when necessary. I guess we should also thank Shibayama - he’s our apothecary’s apprentice, and I asked him to make the remedy before you all left. Something about going to the Spring of Lome told me we would need one…”

Yahaba gapes at him before nodding a little. “Right… of course…”

“You should get some rest,” Yaku suggests, but Yahaba doesn’t look away from Watari. “Everything alright…?”

Licking his lips, Yahaba pulls his ruined gloves from his hands, and Yaku winces at the sight. “Do you have something I could wrap my hands with?”

Yaku nods, hurrying over to one of his shelves. He doesn’t run into the piles, and something tells Yahaba it’s been a mess for a while now if Yaku has made specific paths in his room. He returns to Yahaba’s side a moment later, gauze in his hands and a potion of healing in the other. “Hold out your arms, please…”

Yahaba looks away when Yaku begins to dab the potion onto his wounds, but the stinging still hurts anyway. He watches Lev, who’s eyes flinch with every dab of the potion, and Yahaba wonders what the young beast is thinking. Yaku’s hands are gentle but quick, and soon Yahaba feels the gauze being wrapped around his forearms and hands.

“I would use a healing spell,” Yaku mutters, and Yahaba finally looks back to watch him finish tying off the last of the gauze, “but I fear it would do more harm than good.”

“Why?”

“Sometimes, magic isn’t the answer,” Yaku answers, looking up once he’s finished. “Plus, if magic caused your pain here, then magic won’t fix it…”

“But aren’t potions—”

“Not all potions are made with magic,” Yaku cuts in, “only the more powerful ones are.”

Yahaba stares at him before nodding. “Thank you, Yaku…”

“Anytime,” Yaku smiles before nodding to the door, “now go get some sleep. You look like you’re about to fall over.”

Yahaba breathes a light laugh, glancing to Watari one last time. Turning to the exit, Lev hurries to open the door and Yahaba smiles up at him, and he wonders if Lev is trying to smile back. The door closes a little too soon behind him, but Yahaba doesn’t mind as he pulls the ruined gloves back on without a second thought.

He moves back down the hall the way Kenma lead him, moving through the silence feeling lighter than he had before. Once he makes it to the great hall, Yahaba hurries over to the archway that depicts the story of the first northern king and makes his way back to the room Yamamoto had taken him to last night.

Kyoutani is in the room when he walks in, sitting on the floor at the foot of the bed and glaring into another fire he most likely started. His winter robe he wore before is carelessly thrown against the far wall and his boots are scattered across the floor as if he’d kicked them off as he moved. Yahaba closes the door quietly behind him, and Kyoutani doesn’t look up. Yahaba pulls his boots off, leaving them near the door before walking over slowly, dropping his winter robe and bag along the way.

Sitting down silently beside Kyoutani, Yahaba focuses on him before following his gaze to the fire. He doesn’t move for a moment before he scoots closer to Kyoutani, and still he doesn’t respond to Yahaba’s presence.

“Kyoutani okay?” He mumbles, resting his hand over Kyoutani’s on the floor between them.

Kyoutani’s scowl deepens, “Iwaizumi cruel…”

“How so…?”

Kyoutani shakes his head. “Kyoutani makes own choices, nothing fake.”

Yahaba frowns, recalls his fake memory of Oikawa whispering “ _unusual choices_.” He’s uncertain of what this could mean, and Kyoutani doesn’t seem to want to talk about it.

So instead, Yahaba moves even closer, pulling Kyoutani’s hand up and around to hold him close before laying his head against Kyoutani’s shoulder. Kyoutani relaxes at his touch, his own head rolling to rest against Yahaba’s, and they sit to stare at the dancing flames.


	27. Revise

There’s an arm slung over his stomach when he wakes up, and Yahaba sighs under the warm weight of it. Opening his eyes and glancing to his side, he finds Kyoutani’s peaceful face as he snoozes on, and the sight makes him smile. He moves to caress Kyoutani’s cheek, but stops when he sees the bandages on his hand.

Right, Lord Yaku dressed his wounds from the magic ripping away at his flesh. Staring at the bandages, Yahaba wonders if he needs to see Yaku again to have them changed as soon as possible or if he could leave them be.

His gaze returns to Kyoutani’s face before moving down to his shoulder, stopping at the bandages wrapped securely around his bicep. Yahaba doesn’t recall him ever changing that bandage, or if he’s ever seen the wound that’s sure to be underneath. The wrapping has just always been there, and if Iwaizumi’s scarred chest he keeps covered is anything to go by - or even the way Kyoutani prefers to keep his chestplate in place when others can see - the scar beneath these bandages must be awful, or at the very least shameful.

Yahaba drops his hand gently over the bandage, the cloth rough and slightly dirty. Frowning, Yahaba wonders why Kyoutani doesn’t change it - the wound underneath could get infected, right? He doesn’t even realize he’s pulling on the wrapping until he hears the growl.

“What are you doing?” Kyoutani grumbles, and Yahaba jumps, pulling back his hand and focusing back on Kyoutani’s face. Only one eye is open, as the other is smushed into the pillow they share, but he doesn’t look very happy.

“I… I was thinking you need to get the bandage changed,” Yahaba admits, dropping his hand back onto Kyoutani’s elbow, away from the gauze wrapping. “I should probably go get my wounds checked, too…”

Kyoutani huffs, shifting to pull his face out of the pillow. “Stay; too early to wake up,” he mumbles, his voice heavy with sleep. Yahaba smiles when he’s pulled closer to Kyoutani, chuckling when he hears the contented hum as Kyoutani nuzzles his face into Yahaba’s neck.

“I have to see Watari,” Yahaba says, patting Kyoutani’s head a little before kissing his temple. “I want to make sure he’s okay…”

Kyoutani doesn’t move for a second before he sighs. “Fine, for Watari,” he mutters, releasing his hold on Yahaba. “Come back?”

“I will once I’ve spoken to him,” Yahaba kisses him softly, and Kyoutani sighs against his lips. “You keep sleeping, I’ll be back in a little while.”

Yahaba doesn’t really get an answer, Kyoutani’s groggy response more random noises than actual words - unless he was speaking in his own language, to which Yahaba has no idea what those sounds mean. Grinning, Yahaba sits up and pulls away from Kyoutani’s clinging hold, climbing out of bed into the chilled air. He shivers a moment, grabbing his clothes to pull them back on. Out of habit, he grabs his bag as well. 

Nothing happened between him and Kyoutani last night, both too exhausted to even really speak - both emotionally and physically. After watching the fire in silence, they silently agreed to head to bed and stripped one another slowly, tiny caresses and kisses happening the entire time until Kyoutani picked him up and laid him down. Yahaba’s face heats at the memory of their slow and lazy kisses as they laid tangled up in one another last night, falling asleep to the feeling of the other pressed so close.

He looks back to Kyoutani one more time before shoving his feet into his boots and heading for the door, rolling his neck to get the kinks out on his way. Kyoutani doesn’t move from his place in the center of the bed, the thick blanket that helped to keep them warm around his waist. He’s pulled the pillow to himself, his nose buried in the fluffy object and Yahaba has to force himself to look away.

The hall is silent once he steps out of the room, the windows high above him barely letting in any light as the snow storm rages just beyond the walls. There isn’t much notice to the storm, not even a rattle to the glass panes, and Yahaba spares the windows one quick glance to see the grey skies and heavy snowfall. Walking through the hall, his footsteps echo on the cold stone of the walls, the carpet barely muffling the sound as he moves.

Yahaba sighs to himself, hopeful that the storm will end soon and they could move on from Nekoma’s cold winter - he misses the warmth of Seijou’s spring, the green of the foliage at every glance, and the sunny skies above. Seijou was a kingdom of absolute beauty, the weather perfect for any occasion with the scent of sweet flowers hanging in the air. The Spring of Lome had a similar scent and beauty to it, though the biting cold that nipped at his fingers and cheeks kept Yahaba from making the comparison in the moment.

Perhaps that was why he was so in awe of the cave.

Shaking his head, Yahaba makes his way through the archway into the great hall, a few unfamiliar faces milling about and quietly speaking to one another. No one seems to notice him, and Yahaba frowns as he crosses his way through to the next hall - another difference between his home and the Frozen North, and Yahaba thought he’d never miss the judging, not-so-secretive gazes of the High Borns in Seijou. He’s honestly surprised to even see anyone in the castle at this point, but he supposes that a storm won’t keep the people of Nekoma’s castle from wandering around for long.

Passing through the only other hall he’s walked within, Yahaba avoids locking eyes with other people and keeps his head down. They don’t seem to mind, or even seem to have glanced at him, but Yahaba still feels uncomfortable passing anyone from the north knowing what Lord Nekomata had ordered the top tiers to do if they found him.

He doesn’t dwell for long, running face first into a tall figure and nearly stumbling back. Yahaba catches himself, looking up to find Lev standing over him, his head tilted just a little before he turns and makes his way back to Yaku’s room. Yahaba watches him, wondering what the look could have meant until Lev pauses, looking back at Yahaba again. Straightening, Yahaba follows him and Lev pushes open Yaku’s door with a gesture that Yahaba could only think meant “after you.”

Smiling up at him, Yahaba steps into Yaku’s room to find the Hand of Nekoma’s King and Watari laughing over cups of tea. Yaku turns when Yahaba comes closer, grinning over Yahaba’s shoulder to where Lev has shut the door. “Thank you for grabbing him, Lev!”

“I was already on my way here,” Yahaba admits, glancing back to Lev as well, “but thank you, Lev.”

Lev stares back, and while he doesn’t seem to have any kind of emotional reaction, Yahaba could have sworn he glowed with happiness.

Yaku chuckles, setting his cup down before gesturing to Yahaba. “Would you like any tea?” Yahaba nods, taking a seat in the empty stool by Watari’s bed, shifting his bag to rest in his lap. Watari looks exhausted but happy - Yahaba would almost say he’s drunk, but he knows drunk Watari, and that version of his friend isn’t this calm. “Watari was telling me about the time you freed Kyoutani,” Yaku explains, heading over to where he left the tea kettle and grabbing a new cup.

“It wasn’t funny,” Yahaba mumbles, and Watari snickers. “I was so worried I was going to kill him…”

“But you were careful and he was fine,” Watari says, waving his head dismissively, “I’m talking about when I tried to call you on the mirror and _he_ answered instead.”

“Sounds very dangerous considering the Magic Council was monitoring your kingdom at the time,” Yaku adds, returning with a third cup of tea. Yahaba takes the offered cup with a small smile and Yaku returns to his seat. “I take it you’re not very good at lying based off of what Watari has explained?”

Yahaba shakes his head, staring down into the hot liquid. “I… I can lie a little, but most of the time—”

“Most of the time you’re very obvious and so nervous,” Watari cuts in, a laugh to his words. “Aren’t kings supposed to be good at lying?”

“Kenma never lies,” Yaku states matter-of-factly, sipping from his own cup, “and no one ever lies to him.”

Watari hums, “makes sense - his magic is very compelling.”

“This is very true, Kenma is a hard man to lie to. As far as kings go - and I’ve only met him a handful of times - King Bokuto is also a very honest man.”

“Well he’s apparently an amazing Wizard - did you hear he removed his beast’s device with one spell!”

Yaku sounds intrigued and begins to respond, but the statement Watari made is still swimming in Yahaba’s brain. “Oikawa never lied… did he?”

They both pause and turn to Yahaba with different expressions; Watari looks sympathetic, but Yaku’s furrowing his brows and frowning deeply. “That man lied more than anyone I had ever met - he was even capable of lying to Kenma.”

It hurts to hear about his king this way, but Yahaba isn’t sure he could deny it. Watari is glancing between them before he settles on leaning forward to catch Yahaba’s attention. “I have no doubt in my mind that Oikawa was doing what was right for the people of Seijou. He was a good king, Yahaba; don’t ever forget that.”

Yaku nods, and Yahaba turns to him now. “Kenma has always mentioned that Oikawa’s political views were clear enough to pin him as good - he’s even said on many occasions that Oikawa is a king to be admired,” he shrugs a little, “just that he was liar, but… he had his reasons.”

Yahaba slowly nods back, taking this in. “Watari, I…” He turns back to his best friend, and the open and caring expression he receives is enough to push him on. “I was also taken in by the Watery Grave…”

Watari gapes at him, and Yaku flinches in surprise. “Gods, are… are you okay?” Yaku asks, setting his cup back down and searching for something nearby. “Do you need anything? I should still—”

“I’m fine,” Yahaba holds his hand up in a calming gesture, and Yaku settings back down, though he eyes Yahaba with concern. “I… came out of it somehow…”

“What feeling was it feeding off of?” Watari asks, but Yahaba can’t meet his eyes. “Mine was the inadequacy I feel whenever Iwaizumi’s in the room…”

Yahaba snaps his attention back to Watari’s face. He looks disappointed, perhaps in himself, but Yahaba isn’t sure he’s able to understand his negative emotions. “Why do you feel that way?”

Watari shrugs, slumping down in the bed and cradling his cup of tea close. “I’m not sure… actually, it’s around any beast I think…”

“Does it have anything to do with what you told me about feeling useless the other night?”

Watari stares at him. “When did I…?”

“Three days ago,” Yahaba mumbles, and it shocks him that they’ve only been in the Frozen North for such a short amount of time. “The first night we stayed in that inn Kuroo took us to.”

“I don’t,” Watari shakes his head, “I don’t remember saying anything…”

“You were passing out from exhaustion,” Yahaba shrugs, “it was so warm after walking through the snow for so long, I didn’t blame you.”

Watari considers his words before nodding a little. “I guess I did say something… I don’t know, I just don’t feel like I’ve done anything to help any of you.” He sits up and gestures to Yahaba, “I mean, hell! Now you can use magic again!”

Yahaba holds up his hand to look at the bandages, and Watari winces. “I… don’t think I’m actually able to…”

“Forcing magic can be dangerous,” Yaku cuts in, turning to grab the potion and gauze from last night. He gestures for Yahaba to bring his hands closer, and Yahaba pushes himself forward to rest his hand into Yaku’s outstretched one. “The negative emotion that brought you to the Watery Grave,” Yaku quietly begins, unraveling the bandages he applied last night, “is that what’s causing the block in your magic?”

Gulping, Yahaba nods. “I apparently feel guilty for what happened to Oikawa…”

Yaku tisks, pulling the bandages away and dabbing more potion to Yahaba’s skin. The wounds are closing nicely, and Yahaba suspects it will be healed over soon - there may not even be any scarring left behind. “What happened to King Oikawa was not your fault; the man loved a beast and married him in secret, what did he think would happen?”

“But so does Yahaba,” Watari murmurs, “well… they’re not married, but Yahaba is in love with him…”

Yahaba’s face burns as he gapes at his friend, but he isn’t sure he can deny the statement. Yaku hums thoughtfully, pausing in his treatment of Yahaba’s wounds. “He’s being hunted by the Magic Council either way… I didn’t say I agreed with the council,” Yaku’s gaze flicks to the door for a moment, “just that Oikawa made his own choices and he knew it would get him killed.”

He completely understands what Yaku means. Yahaba knows he hasn’t done anything to have directly caused Oikawa’s death. Yet he still feels it, the block of guilt that stops his magic from working. He stares at the scars, how the wounds peak in past his ashen, marred flesh to the tissue underneath. It’s the most color he’s seen on his own hands in so long, he’s almost appalled that he’s not upset with the wounds.

Yaku carefully wraps new gauze in place and Yahaba pulls his gaze away. Yaku leans back and nods, putting the supplies back behind him as the silence settles over everyone. Watari clears his throat, Yahaba slowly turning to look up at him. “If you got out of Watery Grave, maybe… maybe you don’t feel guilty anymore?”

Yahaba opens his mouth to answer, but the words become stuck in his throat. “It’s possible,” Yaku replies, taking hold of his tea cup again to sip from it. “Though, I don’t know if that means his magic will return as fluidly as it once had been.”

“How,” Yahaba licks his lips, feeling his mouth go dry, “how do I get it back?”

“Talk to Kenma,” Yaku suggests, but when Yahaba only stares at him in confusion, he sighs. “Kenma… has been in a similar situation with his magic. He learned how to restore his magic, but it took time.”

“Time isn’t something we have,” Yahaba shakes his head, standing to set his teacup down, bag rustling as it falls by his hip again. “Thank you, I will talk to him.” He hesitates, looking back to Watari. His friend is smiling up at him, but he looks exhausted. “Watari… I—”

“Don’t try to make me feel better,” Watari waves him away, “this useless feeling I have… it’s not something I should dwell on, right?”

Yahaba frowns, “you’re not useless. You never were.”

Watari’s smile grows a little, but he looks even more tired. “We need your magic back, Yahaba,” he nods to the door, “go figure it out.”

He doesn’t want to just leave his friend so soon, but Yahaba bobs his head once and turns to the door, reminding himself that they don’t have the luxury to rest just yet.

Lev steps out of the way, pushing the door open for Yahaba and he sends the young beast a smile of thanks. Once he’s in the hall, the door softly clicks shut behind him and he suddenly feels heavy. Looking around, Yahaba finds that he’s not quite sure where to look for Kenma.

Turning in the only direction he really knows, he nearly collides with a young girl with frizzy hair. She sends him a look before carrying on, though not without brushing off her shoulder as though they had collided. Yahaba stares after her, feeling her features were familiar - the burning heart symbol on the back of her robes tells him she’s Top Tier but beyond that Yahaba isn’t sure what to make of her. 

Trying to continue down the same hall he finds someone watching him some ways down, a concerned look on his face. When he sees Yahaba looking right back, he winces and turns to book it down the hall. Yahaba narrows his eyes, hurrying to follow after in suspicion.

The young man is trying to hide in the crowd of people in the great hall, and Yahaba has to wonder if this guy has ever learned to be discrete. Stepping around the crowd, Yahaba comes up behind him and puts his hand to his shoulder, making the other jump in surprise. He spins around and gapes at Yahaba, and all Yahaba can do is raise a brow in surprise. 

“I… I…!”

“Why were you watching me?” Yahaba asks, and he glances around to notice that no one is paying the two any mind. “Who are you?”

The young man looks to be ashamed, or at the very least bashful, as he rubs his neck. “I… I had heard there were other people in the castle but no one knows who you are…”

Yahaba nods, looking to the people around them once more before grabbing his arm - gently - and dragging him from the great hall. “Well, why are you so curious? And again; who are you?”

“N-no one important,” he mumbles, but when Yahaba narrows his eyes, he winces and complies, “I’m Shibayama, the apothecary apprentice for the Kingdom of Nekoma.”

The name strikes a cord with Yahaba’s memory. “You’re the one who helped Yaku save Watari!”

Shibayama nods, shrugging a little. “No, well yes, but… Lord Yaku did all the work, I just had the supplies for him.”

Yahaba doesn’t care, he takes Shibayama’s hand into his own and shakes his several times. “Thank you! Watari, he… he’s my best friend, I don’t know what I would do without him!”

Shibayama flushes and chuckles a little awkwardly, nodding a little more. He has a dazed look on his face as he stares back at Yahaba, and Yahaba begins to feel self conscious. “If he’s your best friend then… you’re King Yahaba… right?”

Yahaba tenses at his words, gulping as his eyes scan the corridor. No one is around, but that doesn’t stop him from worrying. “Uh - I - well—“

“Oh!” Shibayama twists and turns around to look about himself before sighing in relief. “Sorry; King Kozume mentioned you were here this morning but that it was top secret, I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright,” Yahaba chucked, but pauses when he realizes who Shibayama just mentioned. “Have you seen him recently? Ken - King Kozume?”

Shibayama nods, gesturing vaguely in a direction. “He’s in the burning room, talking with Lord Nekomata.”

“Burning room…?”

“It’s where the royal council meets about important matters,” he shrugs, “I sometimes get to go, but usually I’m not able to. Right now it’s just King Kozume and Lord Nekomata talking about the word from the Magic Council.” Shibayama hesitates, biting his lip. “Well… more specially you.”

Yahaba grows tense at this, “so I am still being hunted?”

Shibayama doesn’t answer. 

“Fantastic,” Yahaba groans, rubbing at his forehead. 

“B-but!” Shibayama cuts in and Yahaba turns his gaze back up to look at him. “Lord Nekomata! He’s on your side!”

Yahaba stands a little straighter at this. “He… he is?”

Shibayama nods excitedly, “from what I understand, he’s been secretly passing on the wrong information to Nekoma Top Tiers to keep them from finding you! Like Yamamoto - that girl you ran into! She’s one of the best at tracking down wanted people, just after her brother!”

Yahaba gawks at him, surprised at the kindness he’s received from the northern kingdom. “I… I don’t know what to say…”

“It’s probably better you don’t say anything,” Shibayama laughs, “best to keep out of sight and away from any recognition, you know?”

Yahaba nods. “Do you think I could speak with King Kozume for a moment soon?”

Shibayama contemplates his statement. “I don’t see why not… but for when he’ll be available I’m not sure…”

“Now would probably be best,” someone says and they both jump, turning to find Lord Nekomata, a kind smile on his face. Yahaba stares at him, his heart speeding up before he can remind himself that the man is on his side. Nekomata holds out his hand and gestures for Yahaba to follow. “Come, King Yahaba; I will take you to see young Kozume.”

Yahaba looks to his hand then back at Shibayama, who doesn’t appear to be concerned at the situation. Taking a deep breath, Yahaba turns back to Nekomata and nods, walking towards him with careful steps. Nekomata doesn’t rush him, his expression calming and patient.

When Yahaba reaches his side, the old man takes hold of his forearm and before Yahaba could even register his touch, they’re suddenly in an oval room with fire blazing around the edges. The heat was not intense, rather it was warm and settles over Yahaba’s skin in a way that made the whole room cozy. 

In the center of the room is a large table, chairs surrounding it, and a light image of their continent spread over the table in a similar fashion to Oikawa’s table. Kenma looks up from his place at the north of the table, Kuroo jumping back from whispering in his ear. 

No one else is around, and Nekomata drops his hold without a word. “He was easy to find, talking with young Shibayama,” he says to Kenma with a chuckle, “I’ll take my leave from here, Kenma…”

Kenma nods, “thank you, Nekomata…”

Yahaba stares at Kenma before glancing to Nekomata, but the man is long gone by the time his gaze falls where the man had stood. “He… really is on my side, right?”

“Nekomata believes in letting people love who they wish,” Kenma mumbles, “he was against everything that happened to Oikawa and to you.”

Nodding, Yahaba steps up to the table to look it over. “But let me guess; Washijo has too much control in the situation?”

“Exactly,” Kenma raps his knuckles on the table top. “This is similar to Oikawa’s map, but it’s not quite as detailed or attuned to the rest of the world. Would you mind bringing it out?”

Yahaba straightens, digging through his bag for the table. His knuckles graze the statue of water, but the sensation is dulled by the bandages. Licking his lips, he pulls the table out and rests it in his palm, holding it out to Kenma. 

Kenma raises his brow and inclines his head to Yahaba, but when Yahaba doesn’t do anything, Kuroo sighs. “He’s waiting for you to do it,” he mutters, crossing his arms. Yahaba looks between the two, his fingers curling around the table as the uncertainty falls over him. 

“That’s why you were looking for me,” Kenma softly says, standing from his seat. “You can’t be afraid of your magic, not if you want it back.”

Yahaba chews on his bottom lip and focuses on the little table in his hand. “I… I don’t feel guilty for what happened to Oikawa,” he whispers, trying to convince himself of something that should be true. “I want my magic back; I want to protect those I love and care about…”

“So bring it back,” Kenma replies, coming to stand before Yahaba. Yahaba slowly brings his gaze up to Kenma’s, and still he feels uncertain. “Magic is our life, you have to relearn it.”

“How…?”

“How did you learn the first time?” Kenma counters, and Yahaba feels his lips part in wonder. “Don’t say it was all Oikawa; he told you what to do to improve. But before then… how did you learn the first time?”

Yahaba gulps, staring at his hand and the table once more. “... I,” his voice is soft, so he clears his throat and starts again. “I practiced…”

Kenma nods, “and what did you practice?”

“The simple spells,” Yahaba mumbles, setting the table down on the floor, “over and over again…”

He stands and steps back, Kenma stepping back as well. Yahaba holds his breath, holding out his hands and bringing for the enlargement spell he knows so well. 

It stings, but Yahaba knows it’s the wounds beneath the bandages. It’s pushing against the scarring, so he tries to hold back, not forcing it or making it happen so suddenly. 

It’s just like the first time he ever used this spell. In his parents bakery, focusing so intensely on the little mitten his mother tells him to use with the oven. He was five, and from the stories the people of Seijou told, there were kids younger than him already mastering spells - breaking away from accidental magic and instead honing their skills to become great wizards. 

So Yahaba taught himself to make the mitten grow three times its size. Then the dough for the bread. Then the rolling pin. He was going to do it to the bread knife when his mother walked in and gasped in shock. 

She’s praised him then, told him he could be a great wizard if he continued on the same way. Yahaba felt proud then, his doubts of ever being a great wizard momentarily stopped by his mother’s words despite being born during the day. He had magic, and it was going to be as powerful as his body would let him. 

Yahaba knows how powerful he became before Oikawa’s death. He knows the spells he was capable of, how the enlarging spell was the first he mastered without help. 

Patience is something he needs now, and the spell will return to him soon. Yahaba just needs to practice, like Kenma said. So he focuses, tries not to rush the pressure out of his body; instead, he directs it to glide from him, around the table, watches as the table slowly grows in size. 

When it’s finally back to half its original size, Yahaba drops his hands and rubs at the sore feeling. Kenma is nodding, his eyes on Yahaba. “Three minutes; not so bad…”

“Could be better,” Yahaba grunts, glaring at his hands. “Is this really all you did?”

Kenma doesn’t answer, not directly. “Practice will help, and soon you’ll be back to the way you were before the setback.”

“How long did it take you?” Yahaba asks, pushing a little. He knows he shouldn’t, especially with the way Kenma shrinks a little. “You don’t have to tell me what emotion put a block on your magic, Kenma. I just want to know how long it took…”

“A month,” Kenma murmurs, keeping his hair in his face. “It took a month of revising the spells I could do in seconds before it happened…”

Yahaba nods once, “thank you…”

“Oikawa,” Kenma starts to say, standing a little straighter and staring at the table. He waved his hand and brings the table its proper size, stepping closer. “Did Oikawa say anything to you about Kyoutani or Iwaizumi?”

Yahaba furrows his brow. “About… about what?”

“The device,” Kenma states, turning to Yahaba now. “Did he say anything about the two of them and their devices?”

Blinking, Yahaba isn’t sure where this is coming from. “I… I don’t—“

“Is Iwaizumi’s still there like Kyoutani’s?” Kenma inquires instead, and Yahaba gapes at him. “Kuro… I took his out, and it nearly killed him. I did everything right, but taking it from his neck nearly killed him. I… I wanted to be sure he wasn’t going to be controlled any longer…”

Yahaba tenses at this. “Do you think Kyoutani is still under its control?”

Kenma shakes his head, but hesitates a moment. “I’m not sure… he doesn’t seem to be, but…”

“He can’t be,” Yahaba can almost hear the panic in his voice, shaking his head. “Kyoutani… he doesn’t take orders. He… he’s free!”

Kenma holds his hands up, his eyes intense as he looks up at Yahaba. “I was only asking. Kuro… he almost died because I took it out, which is why I…” Kenma drops his hands and his gaze, and Yahaba suddenly understands. “I just wanted to know if I did the right thing - if Oikawa took the device out of Iwaizumi’s device but never urged you to take it out of Kyoutani’s neck,” he shakes his head. “Never mind…”

Yahaba looks over to Kuroo then, sees the pain on his face as he watches Kenma struggle with this fact. Taking a deep breath, Yahaba answers, “Oikawa never told me I should take it out. But… Iwaizumi’s device I’ve never seen. He… he wore a cloth that covered his neck back in Seijou since the beginning, and even now…”

Kenma nods. “Then I’m sure I made a mistake…”

Yahaba tenses, “don’t say that! You wanted to be sure Kuroo was free! He’s your best friend, of course you would make sure he was safe!” Kenma doesn’t meet his eyes, and Yahaba takes hold of his shoulders to look him in the eye. “Kenma, don’t beat yourself up over it again. Kuroo is alive and well, and it’s all thanks to you.”

Kenma nods once, but it doesn’t feel like an agreement. “Thank you, Yahaba. For your sake, I hope you don’t have to remove the device.”

Yahaba smiles, but it just feels wrong and all for a matter of appearance. “I… thank you for telling me,” he whispers, dropping his hands from Kenma’s shoulders. “And thank you for helping me with my magic…”

Kenma stands straighter, but he avoids Yahaba’s gaze. “Stay away from larger spells until the smaller ones no longer hurt. You’ll be fine so long as you practice.” He waves his hand, returning the table to normal and stooping to pick it up. Yahaba accepts the table back, putting it into his bag. “In Seijou, what do people say about magic of the dead?”

Yahaba pauses, trying to think of what that has to do with anything. “Huh…?”

“Never mind,” Kenma mumbles, turning back to the seat he once occupied. “Is there anything else I can help you with, Shigeru?”

He’s not sure, but he thinks the conversation has put a strain on their friendship. Yahaba frowns, bowing a little to Kenma. “No, thank you for… for all of this…”

Kenma nods, sitting back down. “I’m sorry I can’t be of more help.”

Yahaba shrugs, “you told me what I need to do, the rest is up to me.”

“Right,” Kenma staring down at the map illusion before him, and he’s clearly feeling guilty about something. 

“Don’t worry about it, Kenma,” Yahaba says, “you can’t help everyone. And… Kuroo forgave you, right?”

Kuroo nods, stepping towards Kenma and kneeling beside his seat. Kenma slowly turns to look at Kuroo, and the small smile Kuroo gives him is enough to make Kenma less tense. 

“I’ll leave you to,” Yahaba gestures to the table with a wince, “to this…?”

“Being a king is difficult,” Kenma says, and Yahaba can only chuckle nervously. “You’ll understand one day…”

Yahaba grins, “right. Of course.”

Kenma nods to the wall opposite him, and Yahaba turns to find the fire die out in a single section before doors open. “Kyoutani is waiting for you,” Kenma settles back in his seat, but he still won’t meet Yahaba’s eyes. 

“Thank you,” Yahaba mumbles, “a thousand times, thank you.”

Nothing else is said, and Yahaba walks through the doors before they quietly and swiftly shut behind him. Straightening his shoulders, he walks until he finds the familiar corridor that leads to his room. His pace quickens as he thinks of the warmth of the bed, of Kyoutani still asleep. Or perhaps he’s woken up by now, sitting in the bed waiting for him.

“ _... there are so many stars in the sky, so many possibilities,_ ” an all too familiar voice says, and Yahaba slows beside a door that’s cracked open. “ _What do you say, Iwa-chan? Let’s run away to another world together…_ ”

Yahaba holds his breath, his nose burning as he steps closer. Pushing at the door a little, he looks inside and his vision begins to blur at the edges at what he sees. 

Huddled on the floor beside the bed is Iwaizumi, clad only in his pants and wedding necklace, clutching Oikawa’s journal in front of him. His head is hanging, his shoulders shaking as the image of Oikawa continues to talk. “ _We could even pick a world where magic and beasts don’t exist! Just you and me, together against the world…_ ” Oikawa chuckles, “ _I would give anything to be able to go with you…_ ”

Iwaizumi slams the book shut and throws it on the floor. “ _Fisata, vashuco_!” He sobs, pulling his knees to his chest as his hands grab hold of the necklace still swirling with colors. “Tooru…” The name is barely a whisper, but Yahaba is so zeroed in on Iwaizumi he knows exactly what he’s sobbing. 

Yahaba pulls away and goes to shut the door, stops himself from letting it click shut and alerting Iwaizumi to his presence. He hesitates outside the door, uncertain of what to say or do. 

From the way Kyoutani talks, comfort shouldn’t come from anyone but family. Biting his bottom lip, Yahaba hurries back to his room and hopes Kyoutani is already awake. 

When he comes into the room, Kyoutani is still asleep, and Yahaba suddenly feels the exhaustion wash over him. “Gods dammit,” he mumbles, looking over his shoulder to the hall. Closing the door, he sighs and drops his bag, kicking off his boots. 

Iwaizumi wouldn’t appreciate him telling Kyoutani, not if he meant for that to be completely private. It would rude of him to admit to seeing it, even if it was to alert Kyoutani. So Yahaba decides then to keep quiet, to only tell Kyoutani if Iwaizumi seems to get worse. Quietly, he steps over to the bed and crawls under the covers, letting the sleeping man grab hold of him out of instinct.


	28. Gone

“Just follow the Snow Birds,” Kenma explains as he watches the group settle back into their winter apparel. “They’ll lead you South to Karasuno.”

Watari huffs, “and why is Karasuno our next destination?”

Yahaba pulls out Oikawa’s table and enlarges it just enough to be able to see some of the larger details. “Air went through there, we think. I wouldn’t know how else to explain this sudden path cutting through the Everblack Woods,” he gestures to the line where trees are missing. 

Iwaizumi stands from tightening the laces of his boots and nods once. “How far is it?”

“It can take a month if you walk from here,” Kenma says, “but that’s just getting out of the Frozen North. I can take you to the closest town of our border, but after that you’re on your own unfortunately.”

“Better than nothing,” Yahaba returns the table to its smaller size and feels only the smallest bit of pain. “How long should it take to get to Karasuno on foot from there?”

“About a month, maybe less if you don’t stop moving during the day or get lost,” Yaku shrugs, “Watari mentioned it didn’t take long for you to reach the borders by the Dark Forest, maybe three weeks or so?”

Yahaba hesitates but he nods once. “We only rested when we really needed to…”

“It’s exhausting, and probably faster if we had another mode of transportation,” Watari sighs and shakes his head. “But it’s probably better to stick to walking.”

“Storm stop,” Kyoutani suddenly cuts in, and everyone turns to look out the window he stands in front of. He turns to face them, and gestures with his head to the world outside. “Move now?”

Yahaba stares at him, the little sunlight suddenly breaking through the storm clouds seeming to shine down and surround Kyoutani in an ethereal glow. He barely hears the acknowledgement from the others, and when Kyoutani meets his eyes, he feels the tug of a smile on his lips. Kyoutani gives a small smile in return, moving closer to the beat of Yahaba’s heart that’s suddenly all too loud within his mind. 

“Yahaba,” he jerks, rounding to find Watari frowning at him. “Let’s go - you’ll have plenty of time to gape at him later…”

Scoffing, Yahaba turns to head over to Kenma, but not before turning a sweet smile on Kyoutani who rolls his eyes in response. “Thank you for this, Kenma,” he nods to his new friend, and Kenma ducks his head down a little in embarrassment. 

“It’s nothing,” he mumbles, taking hold of Yahaba’s sleeve. “I hope you find the elements in peace…”

Yahaba nods again, glancing to his friends and holding his hand out for someone to take. Kyoutani reaches back, Watari stepping closer to hold his elbow. Iwaizumi sighs and claps a hand to his shoulder, while Kuroo grabs hold of Kenma’s as well. 

Yaku gives a curt nod of his head. “Be safe and stay warm,” he waves, and Yahaba feels a tingle wash over him as he recognises the magic seeping into his robes. “Should keep you from freezing for the most part,” Yaku crosses his arms and smirks at them all.

“Best of luck,” Yamamoto grins, waving as well, though without casting a spell. Lev and Fukunaga stand silently at his side, though Yahaba thinks he sees the shine of fondness in Lev’s eyes as his inner thoughts screams to bid them farewell. 

Kenma sighs deeply, calming himself from the sudden contact before the world flickers and shifts around them. Yahaba closes his eyes, the nervous energy around Kenma giving off waves of anxiety that eat away at him as well. 

As soon as the hold from Kenma’s hand drops, Yahaba opens his eyes and looks around. 

Rather than the stone structure with red accents of Nekoma’s great hall, he finds that they’re standing in a cabin of some sort. The cold is seeping through the room and caressing his body, but the enchantment Yaku placed over them keeps the freezing air at bay for the most part. Still, he shivers as the other separate from him, looking out the nearest window. 

Kenma points to the door of the cabin, “head through the village and then once you’re in the trees, you can start looking for Snow Birds.”

“What are snow birds?” Iwaizumi asks, and Kuroo chuckles. 

“Birds made of snow,” Kuroo answers, earning a glare from Iwaizumi. Kuroo smirks, “no, literally. They’re birds made of snow.”

“If you know their shape you can even make one,” Kenma explains, but he shakes his head. “It’s better to find wild ones though…”

“How…?” Yahaba is at a loss for words. 

Kenma smiles at him, though it’s small and Yahaba thinks he may have also questioned these creatures before. “They’re the cause of the rain down in Karasuno - snow morphs to their appearance, and they fly south to become rain.”

Nodding slowly, Yahaba tries to imagine this, but comes up short. “Then… it’ll be obvious when we see one?”

“Of course,” both Northern men say, and Yahaba huffs a laugh. 

“Well,” he glances to his friends and sees Iwaizumi gesture with his head towards the door in a quick jerk, “we better get going. Just through the village and then follow the Snow Birds.” Kenma hums his affirmation and Yahaba turns towards the door. Iwaizumi and Kyoutani are quick to leave, but Watari hesitates with Yahaba. He glances back to Nekoma’s King and the snow tribe’s leader and wonders if there is any other way to say thank you or goodbye; but mostly whether or not it’s necessary. 

“Tell Iwaizumi we’ll settle things once the _yovoisure_ is gone,” Kuroo says, grinning as he crosses his arms. 

Kenma rolls his eyes with a sigh and Yahaba only nods again. “I will… and—“

“You should get moving, Shigeru,” Kenma cuts in, “the phantom won’t wait for you.”

Yahaba takes a deep breath and doesn’t bother to answer - to say thanks for the millionth time or even goodbye. He simply faces the open doorway and walks out with Watari. When they turn to close the door, Kenma and Kuroo have already gone. 

“So,” Watari breathes, sounding a little nervous. His cheeks are already becoming pink, and the tip of his nose is bright red. “Snow Birds?”

“Right,” Yahaba looks to the forest edge and finds the village just through the thicket of trees not too far from where they stand. Iwaizumi and Kyoutani are speaking to one another by the tree line, and from the look of things, they’re not happy. “Everything alright?” He calls to them, and they both stop to glare over at him. 

“Fine,” Iwaizumi grunts before pulling his hood over his head, “we need to get moving.”

Kyoutani scowls after him as he watches him move into the forest, the snow crunching beneath his steps. Yahaba and Watari crunch their way to his side, watching Iwaizumi go as well. “Kyoutani…?”

“It nothing,” Kyoutani growls, “Iwaizumi… cruel…”

Watari clicks his tongue, “yeah, I hear you…”

Yahaba sighs and continues on, catching up with Iwaizumi as the others follow. 

The village is seemingly deserted, but the wind is picking up and Yahaba imagines another storm may be brewing. He winces at the way the wind cuts against his eyes, making it hard to see where he’s going for seconds at a time. He’s grateful for the storm if it keeps the people of Nekoma in their homes, and he pushes forward through the small village of perhaps two main roads.

He wonders what the village is normally like; when there aren’t any snow storms to worry about and it’s closer to mid day. Are people bustling about like they did in Seijou? What businesses are here? There seems to be more homes than actual business and Yahaba believes that means they manage from their homes. 

But that isn’t important, and Yahaba doesn’t have time to wonder about a tiny village in the middle of nowhere. 

The trees on the other side give coverage against the wind, and Yahaba can feel a shiver coming on despite Yaku’s charm. It clearly won’t last the whole journey, but Yahaba is glad for the temporary protection it gives. They continue on in silence, and when Yahaba glances behind him after what seems to be an hour, he can’t see the village any longer. He pauses, looking up to the sky and the tops of the trees.

It’s not as thick as the Dark Forest, and honestly Yahaba isn’t sure he should call it a forest. But there’s no other word that comes to mind, and the further south he looks, the less trees he sees. 

Less trees doesn’t mean less snow however. Yahaba shivers at the thought of walking through snow for an entire month. But Kenma had cut their travel in half - they’ll be out of the north soon enough. 

It’s with that thought that Yahaba begins to feel something shift from under him. Gasping, he steps back and nearly collided with Iwaizumi, who catches him and gives him a baffled look. They stare at one another before turning their attention to the snow that shifts again. 

“Gods, don’t let it be a chiome,” Watari mumbles as he and Kyoutani come to stand at their sides. 

They all watch with bated breath before the snow morphs to wings, lose flakes of snow flinging away and snowball shakes itself off, a tiny head popping up and looking around with hollow eyes. Yahaba is gaping as more mounds of snow ball up into the form of birds, all glancing around for just a moment before the first one to form takes off. The rest of the birds do the same, taking off into the air and trailing snowflakes behind them.

“Snow Birds,” Yahaba whispers, taking a step forward before hurrying after them to the best of his ability. He hears the others run after him, and though he has to catch himself before he barrels into a tree, Yahaba doesn’t look back.

The tiny creatures fly in odd patterns that he’s never seen from birds before, and the snow that falls from their bodies seems to be never ending. It helps him keep pace however, especially when their white forms blend into the grey skies above or the pines from trees makes it difficult to see where they’ve gone. Yahaba had imagined the birds would fly in one direction, but they turn at random intervals before swooping back. If he didn’t know better, he’d think they weren’t taking him south to Karasuno.

Yahaba doesn’t realize how long he follows after until they stop, the Snow Birds circling overhead, the clearing they’re in barely covered in snow. He watches them, panting heavily and feeling the numbness in his legs from the running. If he thinks about it, he’d argue that they’d been running for a half hour or so.

“This is hopeless!” Watari groans, and Yahaba glances back to see that the rest of them are just as exhausted looking.

“How?” Kyoutani asks, gesturing to the ground, “less snow - mean it south, yes?”

Watari narrows his eyes at him, “why can’t you talk normally?”

Iwaizumi snorts, which only earns him a glare from Watari as well. “What did I do?”

Yahaba sighs, stepping in to stop a fight before it begins. “Kyoutani’s right—”

“ _How do you understand him_?”

“—we’re getting closer to the Everblack Woods,” Yahaba continues, kicking snow out from under his feet. “Look, see? The snow isn’t as deep, we must be close to the border.”

Watari takes a deep breath, clearing an area of snow to sit on the damp grass beneath. “Well, the birds have stopped, why don’t we?”

Yahaba agrees, joining Watari on the patch he made for himself. The air is still freezing around them, his huffs of breath circling in his view, but Yahaba can now see their destination. Nekoma’s elevation is higher than most of the kingdoms, and while he can see the end of the Frozen North, it’s still miles away. No one speaks during their rest, and they remain silent when they all collectively stand to follow the birds again when the circling stops overhead.

This continues on for the rest of the day, stopping and going when ever the Snow Birds circle overhead. It works well for them, and while the silence seems deafening, Yahaba drowns out any worry that something is wrong with his friends collectively by practicing his magic during the breaks.

When the sun sets, they continue moving, but it’s harder to see the birds. By the time it’s become far too dark to see them, Yahaba almost decides to tell the others it’s useless at this point when the birds collide into the snow covered ground, becoming motionless once again.

“I guess we’ll make camp here,” Yahaba says, the first thing spoken since the birds started circling overhead randomly. The others make small grunts of agreement, and they set out getting their little campsite ready.

It’s warm in Kyoutani’s arms that night, and Yahaba sleeps peacefully within their shared tent until he wakes unable to breath.

Kyoutani pulls him out of the water, and Yahaba gasps for air and tries to regain an understanding of what had just happened. Looking down, Yahaba sees the water harden into a rounded ice creature with fangs, chattering annoyedly. He gapes at it, his mind still fogged with sleep before Kyoutani slams his fist onto it and shatters the creature into pieces.

From beyond their tent, Yahaba hears more shattering and Iwaizumi’s voice yelling for Watari to wake up. Disoriented, Yahaba shakes his head and blinks the sleep away, Kyoutani holding his shoulders steady.

“Yahaba okay?”

He nods, breathing in more air. “I… was that a chiome?”

Kyoutani scowls, “yes…”

This wakes Yahaba up enough to push himself forward and out the slightly opened flap of their tent, straight into a chiome as it’s stepped on by Iwaizumi. Grinding his hands into the ground, Yahaba stops himself before he collides completely with Iwaizumi’s leg. The beast scoffs down at him before throwing another chiome off of himself, and a wave of heat to the side alerts Yahaba to Watari’s use of fire magic.

Standing, Yahaba tries to think of any spell he could use right now that won’t bring him harm, but before he can come up with anything at all, a chiome launches itself at him, chattering incoherent noises. He moves to duck away, but Kyoutani appears at his side and he grabs the chiome in a death grip, slamming it into the ground and shattering its body to pieces.

Yahaba watches Kyoutani jump forward to do it again to other solid formed chiomes and he frowns when he realizes there isn’t anything he can do. Narrowing his eyes at the fighting before him - especially when Kyoutani seems to constantly check on him to ensure he’s safe - Yahaba turns to focus on the fog rolling towards them.

It has to be a swarm of chiomes in their gaseous state, and Yahaba knows what spell will blast them away. The only issue is that Yahaba hasn’t practiced his air based magic yet, still trying to master the enlargement spell. In this moment however, he can’t be bothered to care as he holds his hands out and pushes past the pain to send the blast of wind at the fog, blowing it away within seconds.

The pain is a bit too much however, and Yahaba bites his lip to keep from screaming, falling to his knees and holding his arms close. He hears Kyoutani call out to him, but Yahaba looks down to see the damage done.

His gloves that Watari had repaired were slashed once more, and the skin beneath is tearing away at the scars left behind the first time. Yahaba hisses at the sight, his skin feeling on fire, and quickly he shoves his arms into the thin layer of snow in front of him. The smashing comes to an end and Kyoutani is trying to grab hold of him not a minute later, saying incomprehensible things.

“Slow down, _faemn_ ,” Iwaizumi says, but Yahaba is too busy pulling away from Kyoutani in order to keep his arms in the snow. He holds his breath, as if that would make a difference in the pain he feels

“Yahaba!” Kyoutani calls again, finally letting go of his pulling. “Look at me!”

“ _It hurts_ ,” Yahaba groans between his teeth, dropping his forehead to the snow as well. “ _Fuck, why did I…_?”

Kyoutani growls, and Yahaba takes a moment to try to breathe, not having noticed he’d made himself dizzy holding his breath at the pain. “Yahaba stupid! Magic bad!” Yahaba rolls his face to the side, looking up to Kyoutani through the tears in his eyes.

“Wha…?”

“Stop magic!” Kyoutani yells, but Yahaba closes his eyes and tries to shake his head. “Look at arms! No good! Stop magic!”

Yahaba grinds his teeth, pushing himself back up despite the pain. “Shut up,” he mutters, but Kyoutani keeps repeating himself. “ _I said shut up_!”

Kyoutani falls back into the snow, gaping at Yahaba, and Iwaizumi and Watari step back in surprise. “Yahaba…?” Watari begins, but his voice is so quiet he barely heard it.

Yahaba doesn’t care what he has to say now. “I _need_ my magic, Kyoutani! Don’t tell me to stop!”

Kyoutani’s surprise drops immediately and he’s glaring with his teeth bared now. “Dangerous use magic! Stop!”

“No!”

“Stop!”

“ _I said no_!” Yahaba screams, and Kyoutani shrinks back again. Yahaba waits for him to argue again, but it doesn’t come. Feeling exhausted despite having just woken up, Yahaba pushes himself to stand and holds his arms at his sides as though the pain no longer holds any effect over him. He focuses on all three men before him in turn, ending on Kyoutani before he speaks again. “I am the King of Seijou,” he starts, rolling his shoulders back a little when it doesn’t feel strong enough, “and I cannot be without magic.”

Trying to keep the shaking in his arms down, Yahaba turns and begins to take down the tent he’d shared with Kyoutani. The silence behind him eventually breaks when either Iwaizumi or Watari move to do the same, the small bit of snow still crunching beneath their feet as they go back to their tents. Kyoutani doesn’t move from his spot, and while Yahaba feels guilty for yelling, he’s still too angry with him to care.

With their things packed, Yahaba doesn’t bother checking to see if anyone follows him. He simply steps forward and grabs a handful of snow, packing it together to look like the ball of a Snow Bird until wings form on their own. With the Snow Bird created, it blinks with hollow eyes at Yahaba before taking off, and under it’s falling flakes, more birds spring out of the snow on the ground. Yahaba follows, careful not to slip down the slopes of the mountain they seemed to be climbing down.

There’s a distance between himself and the others, but Yahaba doesn’t want to hear it again. Their breaks take place far from one another, spread out across the land where grass begins to peak out from under thin blankets of snow. Yahaba continues to practice magic, a tingling in his arms and hands enough of a warning for when he needs to stop.

When night falls and the Snow Birds crash down again, Yahaba doesn’t check to see if Kyoutani will join him. By then, he wants to apologise to his lover, but the anger simmers beneath the surface and Yahaba knows he won’t say it correctly.

Once he’s climbed into the tent, Yahaba pulls his robes tighter around himself and squeezes his eyes shut to forget the morning’s events. By the next day, he expects things to be right again.

Nothing changes in the morning, or the morning after that. They’re all silent, tense when anyone meets another’s eyes. Occasionally during the breaks, Iwaizumi will wander further from the group and go out of sight for quite some time, or Watari will come to Yahaba’s side and silently offer some of his food without looking up from the ground. But never does Kyoutani approach him, and Yahaba chooses to keep it that way - more out of punishment for himself than for Kyoutani.

An entire week passes before Watari snaps. “I’m done with this!” He yells, and Yahaba glances over to him from his resting place. The snow is practically non-existent at this point, but the Snow Birds still circle over head. “We need to talk about what happened!”

“We don’t _need_ to do anything but keep moving,” Yahaba argues, returning his focus to the rocks he was shrinking before tossing into the little river flowing before him. The pain had subsided greatly, but Yahaba occasionally felt a throb in his forearm.

Watari groans loudly, frustration seeping into his voice, but Yahaba still doesn’t turn back. After a moment, he hears someone approach and looks over his shoulder to see Iwaizumi pulling Kyoutani over to him, Watari pushing at his back.

Yahaba straightens, dropping the pebble he’d made and standing up from his seat. “I—”

“ _Vluba_ ,” Kyoutani grunts, and Yahaba blinks at him. He doesn’t know the word.

Iwaizumi heaves a sigh, “it means ‘sorry’...”

Yahaba doesn’t even glance to Iwaizumi when he offers up the translation. “Why are you sorry…?”

“Yahaba need magic,” Kyoutani murmurs, focusing on his own hands for a moment as he holds them in front of himself. “Bring pain, not good, but… Yahaba need magic…”

He’s not sure what to say. “I… I’m sorry, too,” he starts, deciding this is the best place to begin. “I shouldn’t have yelled, but… I was so angry that you would tell me that when I already told you I don’t like to think about it…”

Kyoutani nods, “I’m sorry, Yahaba.”

Yahaba bites his bottom lip and nods, “I forgive you.”

Kyoutani nods back, “forgive.” Yahaba feels a smile pull at his lips, but it must be pathetic as tears well in his eyes. He just looks at Kyoutani then, and Kyoutani stares back.

Watari gives a heaving sigh of impatience. “Just kiss already, _gods_...”

Yahaba feels the bubble of laughter push its way out of his mouth before Kyoutani moves closer, kissing the giggles away. Iwaizumi scowls before Yahaba hears him move away again, but he doesn’t care as he wraps his arms around Kyoutani’s neck.

It’s good to be kissing him again, his cheeks feeling a little wet as the tears roll down of their own accord. Kyoutani pulls him in close, and they don’t leave one another’s side until Iwaizumi and Watari return to them and explain that the Snow Birds were moving again.

That night, they make camp on the edge of the Everblack Woods, the Frozen North three hours behind them. Yahaba sighs to himself in Kyoutani’s arms, nuzzling his face in the crook of his neck and falling asleep much sooner than he had for the past week. The Snow Birds were not with them come morning, having continued their journey south to become the rains of Karasuno when they’d decided to make camp.

The second night in the Everblack Woods, under the cover of large tree roots from the light rain that came down on them, a Whisper Wolf approached the group with Hanamaki’s voice. It told Iwaizumi everything that happened to the tribe since the last wolf greeted them.

Yahaba doesn’t understand a word of what was said, but Iwaizumi explained to him that Matsukawa was keeping peace between his tribe and the wizards from Seijou that fled from the capital.

“So the beasts are living with Seijou civilians?” Yahaba asked, but Iwaizumi only shrugged.

“Apparently so,” he glanced to the Whisper Wolf as Hanamaki’s voice said something else. “Ah, that might be helpful…”

Yahaba and Watari had exchanged a glance, but Kyoutani sat a little straighter at the report. “Kunimi…?”

Iwaizumi nods, “and Kindaichi; they’re heading to Karasuno.”

Yahaba had been happy to hear that Kindaichi was still well, and that he was traveling with his apparent friend, Kunimi. He couldn’t piece together why they would be traveling to Karasuno, but Yahaba quietly decided that it must have been due to the destruction Oikawa’s map had shown from when the Eastern Element of Air escaped them.

It was the fourth day in the Everblack Woods that things went wrong.

Just as the travel north brought them issues with creatures, Yahaba shouldn’t be surprised when the travel south did as well. However, the fact that it was once again pixies left him feel an annoyance that throbbed at the tiny nail scars on his cheek from the last time.

He does his best to avoid using too powerful of spells, pushing the pixies away with wind magic and hoping it would be enough as they ran. They’re lucky the rain stopped for a moment when it did, though the ground was still slick from the rain that morning. Kyoutani remains close, checking on Yahaba every time he swipes a pixie away. Yahaba grinds his teeth, already feeling the argument that will come after.

His irritation at having Kyoutani so focused on him results in Yahaba pushing too much magic out, though it helps when the pixies flee at the burst of magic. Hissing, Yahaba clutches at his forearms, but notes he didn’t tear at the skin again.

Kyoutani is at his side in an instant, the pixies no longer a threat. “Yahaba, no—”

“Don’t you _dare_ start that again!” Yahaba yells, pulling out of Kyoutani’s hold. “I’m fine! See, no tearing!”

“But—”

“But nothing!” Yahaba shakes his head, water flicking from his hair just as the rain begins again. It’s barely a dribble, but it’s enough to make him feel soaked for the hundredth time since entering the Everblack Woods. “I’m not having this argument again!”

Watari clears his throat, stepping up to Kyoutani’s side. “He has a point, Yahaba…”

Iwaizumi leans against a tree, sliding down it to rest on the ground. “Let them go at it, Watari; it’s refreshing to see someone else argue for once.”

Watari snaps his attention to Iwaizumi then. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Oh, don’t you two start now!” Yahaba moans, smacking his forehead. “I don’t even understand what you two have to argue about anyway! You both are equally important to this group, so stop trying to argue otherwise!”

Watari and Iwaizumi don’t reply, but Yahaba can tell they want to start a fight about it.

“Yahaba,” Kyoutani starts again, and Yahaba turns his attention to him. “Please… take it easy,” he reaches out, holding Yahaba’s forearms gently. “Rest; no magic… for now, at least.”

He shivers at the request, but Yahaba feels it may not be from Kyoutani’s words or how he’s holding his arm. Yahaba considers the feeling for a moment; it couldn’t have been the rain, it’s not particularly chilly against his skin as it falls over him. Yahaba glances between the three other men and sees they’re all on alert as well, and he knows now that it wasn’t a typical shiver.

Yahaba’s glancing around when he sees the movement of a shadow against the nearly black trees. He gasps, grabbing Kyoutani and pushing him to the ground before the black mist can make contact with them. Iwaizumi immediately stands, growling low in his throat.

“ _Yovoisuronal_ ,” he says, changing towards the darkened area. Yahaba gapes at the monster, recognising the form from the first time he’d met Kyoutani.

But it’s not as large as it had been then. He stands, pulling Kyoutani back up as Iwaizumi is thrown back at them. Yahaba kneels down to look over Iwaizumi, finding that he doesn’t have the same scaring as he or Kyoutani. Sighing in relief, Yahaba looks back to the miniature Hollow Body Phantom.

“Th-that’s…” Watari takes a step back, “that’s the Phantom?”

“No,” Iwaizumi grunts, pushing away from Yahaba to stand again, “not quite…”

Yahaba agrees, knowing the real Phantom is ten times the size of this creature. It’s hard to see a definitive form in the Everblack Woods, especially with the rain picking up, but the miniature Phantom merely looks to be a black hole in the world, it’s body fizzing with black mist and dripping all at the same time.

“What do we do…?” Watari asks, and Yahaba honestly does not have an answer.

Iwaizumi huffs, “it’s obvious - we have to run.”

Kyoutani scowls, “not weak!”

“I doubt you could land a hit,” Iwaizumi counters, not looking back to Kyoutani. “And if Yahaba can’t even use basic magic, there’s not way he can use whatever spell he did that saved you before. We have to leave - _now_.”

No one can argue this, and without a second’s hesitation, the four of them make a run for it through the dark thicket of trees.

Yahaba can’t see anything, and he constantly grazes his shoulders or legs against the winding trunks of the trees they’re running through. He barely sees his friends, and he worries the miniature Phantom is faster and will catch them in no time.

His fears are met when something grabs his leg and yanks him back, holding him up by the ankle and putting a strain on his leg. Wincing at the discomfort, Yahaba tries to wiggle free, the miniature Phantom holding him up to its supposed face.

Yahaba isn’t sure what spell would free him, or even if he is capable of doing so at this point. Panicking, Yahaba looks around, fear eating away at him. A snarl comes from the trees before Kyoutani is launching himself at the Phantom, the black form falling back and releasing Yahaba’s leg. He falls, catching himself in time to keep his neck from breaking on the ground, and Yahaba scrambles to right himself in order to follow where the creature went with Kyoutani.

It’s not hard to find the two as Kyoutani is wrestling to keep the creature down, and Yahaba feels the horror in his stomach begin to lurch when he sees Kyoutani’s body gain the same scars as the ones on his chest.

“ _Kyoutani, stop_!” Yahaba screams, but it only serves to distract him as the Phantom throws him off. Kyoutani’s hold on the black form remains firm, and he drags the Phantom with him - much to Yahaba’s shock - right over a cliff.

Screaming, Yahaba rushes forward and falls onto the ground, crawling in his hurry to the edge to find Kyoutani and the Phantom in a mid-air scuffle that’s getting closer and closer to the nothingness below.

“ _Kyoutani_!” His throat is raw, but Yahaba doesn’t hesitate to hold his arms out and cast a spell that catches him, the black shape of the miniature Phantom detaching from Kyoutani and continuing to fall into the foggy abyss below. Yahaba’s seeing dark spots in his vision, but he can’t stop despite the pain.

He yanks Kyoutani closer, trying to hover him back to his side, but Kyoutani is shaking as he stares at his hands. The closer he gets, the clearer it becomes that Kyoutani’s arms are blackened. Yahaba’s breathing becomes erratic and he tries harder despite the pain.

“K-Kyoutani,” he hiccups, and Kyoutani slowly lifts his gaze to meet Yahaba’s.

“Stop,” he snaps, still too low and too far out to make it to the cliff. “You’re in pain, stop!”

Yahaba shakes his head, his breathing shallow and vision getting darker. “No! No no no _no no no no_...!”

Kyoutani is scowling, glaring up at Yahaba. “ _Drop me now!_ You’re tearing your arms apart!”

Yahaba is sobbing, “I can’t…!”

“ _Yahaba!_ ”

Kyoutani’s voice is an echo that resounds through the cliffside and Yahaba can’t do it, can’t feel his arms or his magic any longer as the hold slips. He can’t truly see, just the black dots in his vision and the blurry ravine below as it swallows Kyoutani the further he drops.

Yahaba doesn’t move, staring into nothing and the world seems to stop around him. His heart is pounding so heavily it feels frozen in place, and Yahaba can’t breath.

The fog below is all he can make out, and Kyoutani is gone.


	29. Anguish

The edges of his vision were black. Yahaba found himself staring into the abyss for some time, unable to move or even breath. His body felt heavy - hollow but empty all the same as he lies on his stomach, staring down the cliff edge.

His ears ring with the deafening silence around him, the pattering of rain swallowed whole and his heartbeat gone. His arms hang useless over the edge, and distantly he can feel the blood pooling down his arms, dripping down his fingers and clinging to the tips before finally releasing their hold to his skin, falling like the rain.

He’s not sure he remembers how to breathe. Is it slow? Fast and hard? Does he need his mouth to be open the whole time or is there something else that works just as well? Does he even need to breathe?

What was the point? He doesn’t see him anymore. There’s no sign of him in the fog. And how could he see him from here?

Kyoutani is dead.

His mouth feels dry, and his body shakes. Is it from the cold? That’s what happens, right? Is it from the cold?

His face feels wet, but it’s from the rain, isn’t it?

_Kyoutani is dead._

He can’t move, but it’s because of the pain in his arms. Right?

Someone’s screaming in the distance, and it’s hurting his dry throat. Maybe it’s him. But why would he be screaming?

_**Kyoutani is dead.** _

He shouldn’t be screaming, but he probably is. He did just drop the man he loves.

He’s still screaming.

A warmth touches his back before it’s circling his waist, but he struggles against it, nearly wiggles himself off the edge. Another warm snake comes around him, and a third, keeping him from falling.

Oh, the snakes are arms, belonging to people he knows, but their names don’t register. The one with red around his face is asking something, but he doesn’t hear it beyond the screaming.

_Kyoutani is dead._

They exchange a look, but he’s not sure he cares as they drag him away from the edge - away from where Kyoutani is.

His arms are useless as he pushes against them, but they keep their hold and rest him against a tree. The one without red around his face is looking over his arms. His arms are red like the other’s, but that one is supposed to have red on his arms. He’s not supposed to - his arms are supposed to be black and gross.

Just like Kyoutani’s chest.

Kyoutani, who is **dead.**

The red one is shouting at him now, and the other is swatting at him to keep him away. He doesn’t care - they should both keep away. He’s screaming, and it hurts, but at least he doesn’t hear what the red one is saying.

He knows he should probably stop - distantly, he knows it’s not normal to scream for so long, and his chest is hurting as though there’s something compressing within. But the other one - the not red one, the one in blue - he’s looking at him and his eyes are soft.

The blue one - he trusts the blue one.

So when the blue one’s voice comes over him, the screaming silences out. It’s still trying, he thinks his throat just isn’t handling the sound any longer. But Blue is nodding and taking his arm and he’s not sure what he should feel looking at the mess in Blue’s hands.

It’s red and dripping, some places dark and other places not. He thinks there may be something wrong with it, but what it could be he’s not sure. He’s not even really sure what he’s supposed to be looking at or how it should make him feel.

Does he feel? He’s not sure. His chest is tight, his throat is burning, and that’s his arm that Blue is looking at. In some way, he knows this. He knows it should hurt, but…

What does pain feel like? Is it that throbbing mess in Blue’s hand? No, that’s what it looks like. Is he so sure that’s his arm though? Can’t be, he doesn’t feel it.

Red enters his vision, though Red didn’t move. He’s just there, and his voice is muffled to the pounding, the ringing. Where is that coming from?

Blue’s responding, but the words are just as muffled. He wonders what they’re talking about when his vision wobbles and he falls.

He opens his eyes to trees above, the pattering of rain still coming down. He blinks a few times, tries to gain his bearings, but nothing makes sense. For a moment, he considers sitting up to look around for the red one or the blue one.

He shuts his eyes and forgets about ever checking.

He hears their voices again, clear but he does not understand. He doesn’t open his eyes again. For a moment he feels the throbbing in his arms and he wants to hold them, make it go away, but he doesn’t move. He lies there in the rain, feeling the pulsing of his wounds, and tells himself he’s alive.

But Kyoutani is dead.

Kyoutani had fallen from the cliff, his body was thrown off the Phantom. And _the Phantom_. The Phantom was gone, but it had been the one to attack and Kyoutani was protecting him.

He didn’t need it.

He didn’t deserve it.

Kyoutani is dead because of him.

There’s only one image in his mind now, and he’s not even sure how long it plays over. It’s simply Kyoutani, staring up at him, before there is nothing.

Nothing at all…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

He gasps for breath, eyes opening wide. Shaking, he sits up, staring ahead at nothing. His heart is loud, and so are their voices.

They’re saying the same thing Kyoutani said before he dropped him.

“Yahaba?”

“Yahaba…?”

“Oi, Yahaba!”

“Yahaba, answer us!”

Kyoutani had screamed that as well, “ _Yahaba_!” All before he dropped him into the fog.

“Yahaba, please,” one of the voices pleads, and finally he turns. It’s the blue one, his cheeks shinging as he stares at him.

Oh.

Yahaba is his name.

“Yahaba…” he mumbles, and Blue smiles, nodding. It’s hard to say, this name that means nothing to him. His mouth is dry, and he’s pretty sure his face shouldn’t feel so heavy.

“It’s been days, Yahaba,” Blue says, and he’s really not sure he likes this name. “What… what happened?”

He shakes his head, but it feels pointless and without meaning.

“What do you mean ‘no’, Yahaba?” The red one says, and he looks up to him. He’s scowling. “Where’s Kyoutani?”

He blinks, but the image of Red glaring at him does not change. “Kyoutani…”

Is dead, isn’t he?

“Yahaba, where is my brother?!” Red shouts, and Blue stands to hold him back. He’s not sure why Blue would need to - is Red going to hurt him?

Let him, he killed Kyoutani.

“Kyoutani,” he says again, the sound raspy and awful. They both turn to him and watch him, waiting for something. He’s not sure he’ll give them what they want, but it’s all he thinks. “Kyoutani is dead…”

Saying it doesn’t make it better, and he sees the black spots before he feels the heaviness again. Red’s screaming now, saying things that don’t register beyond the cloud of his mind.

Distantly, he remembers Red as being close to Kyoutani, who is dead. And it is his fault that Kyoutani is dead. Red must hate him.

Red should hate him.

He hates him.

What did they call him?

“ _Yahaba_!” Kyoutani’s voice rings in his memory, the last thing he said before he dropped him.

That’s the name.

He hates Yahaba.

Yahaba, whose arms are now white. Whose arms were red. Yahaba, whose arms couldn’t handle the pain and let go.

Yahaba dropped Kyoutani.

Kyoutani is dead.

He hates Yahaba - Kyoutani is dead and he hates Yahaba.

Why…?

Kyoutani is a name. The name of the person Yahaba dropped over the edge of a cliff. Name of the man he loves.

He hates Yahaba for dropping the man he loves. Kyoutani is dead. Yahaba killed Kyoutani, and he loves Kyoutani.

Loved Kyoutani.

His face is wet again.

“ _How dare you cry!_ ” Red snaps, and Blue seems to struggle as he tries to hold Red back. “ _Love?! You can’t love him if you killed him, Yahaba_!”

Oh. He must have spoken aloud.

By why call him Yahaba? Yahaba is the one he hates, and Yahaba is the one who killed Kyoutani.

Kyoutani is dead, the one he loved.

Yahaba is not him. He can’t be the one who killed Kyoutani.

 _But he is_...

Red is sobbing now, and Blue doesn’t have to hold him back. “You… you _killed_ him and you have the fucking _nerve_ to say you loved him!?”

“Iwaizumi, please…!”

He does love him. Doesn’t he?

“How could you possibly love him?” Red’s voice is shaking as he falls to his knees, and he simply watches. “He… he didn’t love you! You… you made him…!”

Kyoutani… what?

“What…?” His voice is soft, barely a breath in the wind.

“That fucking device in his neck…!” Iwaizumi coughs, choking on his breathing as he sobs, “he…! He never had his mind fully returned to him! It was all fake…! You…!”

“Iwaizumi, that’s enough!” Blue - no, Watari - shouts, his voice a panicked sound.

“Oikawa was right…!” Iwaizumi laughs, but it’s broken and he’s not sure what to make of it. “Kyoutani didn’t feel anything of his own accord, it was all what you wanted…! The device was there, still controlling him! You…” Iwaizumi raises his eyes and holds his gaze, the green within blazing with hatred. “You killed him… not by your own hands maybe, but you killed him… that Phantom was after you… what happened? Did Kyoutani _save_ you? Again? For the hundredth time? Because that’s what you wanted from him, right?”

He doesn’t know what to say.

Kyoutani… wasn’t free?

“He,” Iwaizumi coughs again, shaking his head, “he wasn’t all there. He hasn’t been there this whole time… That wasn’t my little brother, that’s not the man I raised…! He would _never_ love a Wizard like you, or desire to follow our customs just because you _saved_ him.”

His arms are throbbing, his chest is tight, and there’s something stuck in his throat making it hard to breath.

“Get over it,” Iwaizumi snarls, “get over whatever _delusions_ you’ve made up about Kyoutani. Who you knew was not the same person as the man he had been before,” Iwaizumi’s breathing has become ragged, his words shaking on each syllable. “You can pretend you loved him all you want, but it was all an illusion, his feelings… he never chose to be with you, it was simply what you wanted…”

Yahaba felt numb. It… it couldn’t have all been an illusion, the choices Kyoutani made…

Right…?

“I had to watch my _vashuco_ die,” Iwaizumi continues on, shaking his head, “it broke me… Tooru didn’t deserve that death, I did… I should have been in that fire, not him…” His voice is getting softer by the minute, but Yahaba still listens. “I lost my only love, and now you’re sitting here, telling me you loved my _faemn_ , but… but that _you’re the reason he’s dead_...?”

Yahaba can’t move. He’s not even sure he’s breathing.

Iwaizumi stares at the muddy ground between them. “Kyoutani is dead, and it’s because you believed you loved him when you didn’t even fight to keep him alive…”

He’s not sure what he could even say at this point. “I… I’m sorry,” he manages, but it doesn’t match up to what he feels - to what he should be saying.

Iwaizumi snaps his eyes up to Yahaba then, the glow in his eyes dangerous and spiteful. “Go to Hell, Yahaba… I’ll never forgive you.”

He can’t say anything, the words - any words at all - dying in his chest and inflaming to spread through his body in shame. He watches Iwaizumi stand and walk away, the muddied ground squelching beneath his boots.

Watari comes to his side then, pulling him into an embrace. It should be warm, but Yahaba doesn’t recognise the feeling through his numbed skin.

“I… I’m certain he’s wrong,” Watari whispers, and he thinks he may be rubbing his hand down Yahaba’s back, but he just doesn't feel it. “Kyoutani loved you more than anything…”

“You’re wrong,” Yahaba croaks, his voice broken. Watari stills, waiting for Yahaba to continue. “He… he’s right, the device it… it was still controlling him… Oikawa thought it too… a-and so did Kenma…”

Watari doesn’t say anything, he simply holds Yahaba close. The sound of the rain pouring down around them is loud, and Yahaba tries to focus on the sound rather than his own sobbing.

It takes some time before Watari pulls away, using his magic to create an invisible barrier for shelter and drying the ground around them. It’s grown dark by now, the clouds in the sky not able to hide the fact that night has fallen. He starts a fire, never once looking back to Yahaba.

He doesn’t blame him. Watari is a good man, true and honest and able to find the best in anyone. But nothing changes the fact that Yahaba never truly freed Kyoutani - not with the device still sticking out of his neck.

Not when he became a different person to the one Iwaizumi knew.

Nothing changes the fact that Yahaba had dropped him and left him for dead.

The trees in the distance rustle, but Yahaba doesn’t check to see who it is. Watari stands, preparing himself for any battle that may ensue.

Instead, Iwaizumi’s voice calls out to them, and Yahaba turns to see why he’d returned.

“Look who I found,” he says, voice void of emotion as he gestures to the two figures that approach from the darkness of the Everblack Woods.

Kindaichi and Kunimi look between the two of them, and Yahaba isn’t sure what he should be feeling. Happiness at seeing his old friend, or fear that more people will simply die if they’re near him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter is short, but it was never meant to be long.


	30. Rain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone!! I'll be moving soon, and need some help! If you're interested, [click the link and find out more on how you can help, while also getting some sweet charms!](http://mellowdoodles.tumblr.com/post/173491702878/hey-there-everyone-so-as-some-of-you-may-know)

Kindaichi joins them under the cover of Watari’s spell to come out of the rain, though he’s still soaking wet. Yahaba shifts where he’s seated, turning his attention to the muddy ground that Watari is desperately trying to dry; he’s not able to bring himself to meet Kindaichi’s worried gaze.

“Yahaba,” Kindaichi starts, kneeling in front of him, “what… what happened?”

He isn’t sure he can answer without breaking again.

“Your arms are all bandaged… and, Gods, it looks like you haven’t slept in days,” Kindaichi continues, reaching out to touch Yahaba but pulling back when Yahaba flinches.

“Where’s Kyoutani?” Kunimi asks, and Yahaba feels himself begin to shake.

Iwaizumi answers him, but he doesn’t speak the Wizard language. Yahaba wonders if he’s telling Kunimi that he’s the reason Kyoutani is dead, or…

Or what? Iwaizumi believes Yahaba has no right to love his brother, and he certainly doesn’t believe Kyoutani ever loved him in return.

He’s not even sure anymore if it was love. Yahaba wants to believe it so badly, but… what if he never did love Kyoutani and was simply in love with the idea of having someone to hold him?

Kindaichi is looking between him and Watari, and Yahaba is thankful no one has answered in a language Kindaichi can understand. He’s certain Kindaichi wouldn’t be so quick to comfort him if he knew what had happened.

“Yaha—”

“He’s not going to answer you,” Iwaizumi snaps, and Kindaichi twists to look at him. “He’s a broken man, Kindaichi. He won’t answer you.”

The rain is loud and heavy as it falls around them, and distantly Yahaba thinks he can hear thunder rolling.

Kindaichi finally heaves a sigh and turns back to Yahaba. “At least let Kunimi look at whatever wounds are under those bandages,” he says gently, reaching out for Yahaba again. “I’m sure he can heal it for—”

“It’s fine,” Yahaba murmurs, his throat burning on the words. “I’m fine…”

“But—”

“It’s fine, Kindaichi,” Kunimi says, walking closer to join them in the invisible shelter. “I don’t think he wants to be treated…”

Kindaichi gapes up at him. “What? Why would anyone want to keep their wounds?”

Kunimi shrugs, “in our tribe, it’s important to heal the wounds, but never remove them. The scars we display to the world were made when doing what was right. The ones we hide are reminders to what we’ve lost.”

Kyoutani had been covered in scars, most of them on display. The only one he’d never seen was beneath the bandage wrapped around his left arm. Aside from that, he’s seen every scar that marred Kyoutani’s skin, and only two were consistently covered when around other people.

Yahaba wonders what Kyoutani could have lost when they gained their matching scars.

Glancing up to Kunimi, who continues to speak with Kindaichi about scars, Yahaba notes that he wears the most clothes of any Beast he’s seen. Kunimi had been covered in fabric the last time Yahaba had seen him as well, but the shirt he wears now seems familiar. Eyeing him for a moment, he catches sight of only two scars - one on his neck and the other on his arm - which only makes him question on whether or not Kunimi hid more scars beneath the clothes.

He turns his focus to Iwaizumi and notes the man is just as wounded as Kyoutani was. But memories of Oikawa’s wedding flash in his mind and he remembers that Iwaizumi’s ripped cloth of a shirt had been removed, deep, nasty scars on display for the ceremony as they tied their lives together. Yahaba shivers, dropping his gaze immediately at the memory, and he tries to keep himself from wondering how he could have gotten those wounds.

Yahaba pulls his knees to his chest and rests his chin on them. Kuroo had worn plenty of furs to keep warm, but he still had enough flesh exposed that Yahaba could tell he’d been in plenty of battles himself. That didn’t mean that the Northern Tribe had the same customs as Iwaizumi’s, but it didn’t stop Yahaba from considering the possibility.

Watari stops trying to dry the ground and rests beside him, earning a brief glance from Yahaba that makes him smile. Yahaba can’t bring himself to smile back, and he focuses on the mud in front of them. Iwaizumi joins them under the cover, but sits as far from Yahaba as possible.

He doesn’t blame the man. Iwaizumi’s words are still echoing in his mind, and Yahaba wishes the idea would leave him soon. It seems to be impossible to ignore any longer.

Kyoutani might not have loved him.

He takes a deep breath, his pulse ringing in his ears and drowning out the soft conversation that Kindaichi and Kunimi are having. Their presence doesn’t do anything to change the tension in the air; Iwaizumi is still angry, and Yahaba…

Yahaba wants to break again.

It won’t do them good to fall apart like that, not right now. They’re close to Karauno, they have to be. The Everblack Woods surrounds the kingdom and gives it the protection their people need from outsiders or dangerous creatures - they need to keep moving.

They don’t rest for long, and waiting for the rain to let up appears pointless. Yahaba is the first to stand, and no one stops him from leaving their resting place. They all follow silently, and Yahaba can only hope none of them had been waiting on him.

He slips on the slick ground a few times, but Yahaba is able to catch himself once or twice. The rest of the time, Watari or Kindaichi are there, and Yahaba can’t look back at them.

It’s clear they’re both worried.

His arms sting the third time he catches himself on a tree, the bark digging into his wounds through the bandages and reminding him again of the pain he endured long enough to watch Kyoutani fall.

Kyoutani, who he loved and quite possibly didn’t love him back.

Sucking in a shaking breath, Yahaba pulls away from Watari and keeps moving. Moving right now would be better than thinking about it. Moving towards the destruction of Karasuno and the Eastern Element of Air to complete this mission would be better than anything.

It’s not just about him anymore; Yahaba can cry once the Hollow Body Phantom has been destroyed.

So he stumbles through the woods, his friends trying to help but unwilling to say anything. Yahaba knows it’s because he’s pushing them away, that it’s because he’s yelled at Kindaichi a few times to back off. He doesn’t want their help; they could die, too.

The next tree he grabs hold of to keep from falling down a small slope, Yahaba cracks his head into the wood and feels someone grab hold of him. “This is pointless,” is all that is scowled before Yahaba is dragged away, his body going limp when he recognises the voice.

He looks up to see Watari, Kindaichi, and Kunimi watching him be dragged away, and no one moves to help him. In the distance, over the treetops, he can see the tips of the black stone towers, storm clouds hanging over the beautiful structure. They’re close to Karasuno’s castle, which means they’re close to the destruction that the Eastern Element had made.

Yahaba waits for the three others to leave his sight before he pulls himself to his feet and turns to face Iwaizumi.

Iwaizumi stops, glancing back to Yahaba before dropping his hold. “Come with me,” he mutters, and Yahaba watches him continue forward without looking back. Biting his lip, Yahaba lifts his foot and steps over the roots of the trees to follow Iwaizumi.

They don’t walk for very long before Iwaizumi is crouching, looking down the steep hill to something down below. Yahaba joins him, but he doesn’t move his gaze from Iwaizumi until he nods to what he’s looking at.

Yahaba isn’t sure if he should be surprised or not.

“I don’t know a lot about you Wizards or what your kingdoms are like exactly,” Iwaizumi murmurs, “but Tooru told me enough for me to know Karasuno Top Tier Wizards are less compassion and more brunt force…”

The men down below are softly discussing something as they work to remove the debris of the trees. Yahaba would think the area they were working in was simply a dried up river, but the rains tell him that would be impossible; no, this isn’t a path for a river. This is where the Eastern Element of Air passed through. The Wizards are far from them, but the gleaming black diamonds on their robes tell Yahaba exactly who they are.

“If Nekoma Top Tiers were ordered to capture you,” Iwaizumi continues, “what makes you think Karasuno weren’t given the same orders?”

Yahaba shakes his head. “I never said they weren’t…”

“You’re stumbling through these woods like a drunken idiot,” Iwaizumi scowls, never looking away from the Top Tiers below, “and we’re surrounded by Karasuno Wizards; you’re going to get yourself killed.”

Yahaba glares at him. “How was I supposed to know they were this close?”

Iwaizumi finally turns to glare back at him. “Because that’s what Kindaichi and Kunimi were saying before you suddenly got up and started slipping your way through the trees, dumbass!”

Yahaba’s eyes widen and he looks back to the men now trying to repair the trees. “I… I didn’t hear them…”

“Clearly,” Iwaizumi huffs, stepping back and away from where the Wizards could see. Yahaba follows him, feeling more guilt than he had before. Iwaizumi sighs and gestures for Yahaba to continue following him, but Yahaba hesitates before he’s grabbed above the elbow. “Come with me - we need to talk…”

Yahaba lets Iwaizumi drag him away from where the Karasuno Wizards are and back to Watari’s invisible shelter. He releases his hold on Yahaba, sitting down onto the ground and gestures for Yahaba to join him. Yahaba stares at him, uncertain of what more Iwaizumi could possibly say to him.

He hates Yahaba - he blames him for the death of his little brother. Yahaba doesn’t blame him; he blames himself for Kyoutani’s death.

Iwaizumi sighs and grabs Yahaba’s hand, pulling him down to his side before he pulls something from his own bag. Yahaba gapes at him, trying to figure out where this was going.

“Tooru’s book,” he starts, and Yahaba can only stare at him. The last time he’d seen Oikawa’s book, Iwaizumi had been huddled on the floor of his room in the Nekoma castle, sobbing Oikawa’s name. He shifts in his seat on the muddy ground, avoiding Iwaizumi’s eyes. “I’m… starting to understand Wizard language…”

Yahaba doesn’t understand. “What…?”

Iwaizumi scoffs, throwing the book into Yahaba’s lap. He grabs it and holds it away from himself to keep it from getting wet. “I can read the words he wrote, Yahaba.”

He’s still lost. “I don’t…?”

Iwaizumi looks angry, but there’s something different in his eyes. Yahaba waits, not certain if he’s reading Iwaizumi correctly. “I can’t _hear his voice_ anymore.”

Yahaba nearly drops the book, Iwaizumi’s words finally hitting him. “The book only shows him if you can’t read it…”

Iwaizumi laughs, but it’s hollow and wet, and Yahaba shivers at the sound as Iwaizumi sobs into his hands. “I can’t hear him anymore…”

Yahaba can feel the book beginning to tingle in his hold, but he’s not sure what to do. Iwaizumi continues to sob, and Yahaba carefully sets the book back into Iwaizumi’s bag. He’s not sure of what to say or do; Iwaizumi is clearly hurting still from Oikawa’s death, but he also spat on Yahaba’s own mourning for Kyoutani.

In a way, he can understand Iwaizumi’s pain. But he doesn’t know how he could ever forgive the man for what he said - even if there is truth to what Iwaizumi said, it doesn’t make it hurt less.

“Kentarou,” Iwaizumi starts again, catching his breath and coughing on the word. Yahaba doesn’t recognise it, and he waits for Iwaizumi to says something he can understand. “The last time I saw Kentarou before I was captured, he _hated_ Wizards with everything he had…”

Yahaba has no idea who Kentarou is, or what he has to do with what Iwaizumi is saying, but he waits for him to continue.

“He would rather kill a Wizard than fall in love with one,” Iwaizumi continues, hiccuping as he rubs at his tear-stained face. “I’m pretty sure he had the highest body count in the whole tribe when it came to killing Wizards… but then… we found him; shielding you with his body as he screamed about _yovoisure_ \- how he would protect you from anything - that you were his…”

He feels a chill run through him, and Yahaba can only gape at Iwaizumi. “Kentarou is…”

“My little brother,” Iwaizumi laughs humorlessly, as though he didn’t even hear what Yahaba said, “the Wizard Killer, and he was saying _you_ \- Tooru’s pathetically weak _Wizard_ student - were the only thing important to him at that moment…”

Yahaba stares at him, unable to even respond.

Iwaizumi is crying again, but he’s not sobbing or covering his face as he looks at Yahaba. “In that moment, I… I thought that someone had finally saved Kentarou from the darkness and hate in his heart… that… that he could love…”

Yahaba is shivering, the angry words from before still echoing in his mind. “You said he didn’t love me…”

Iwaizumi breaks his gaze to look around at the trees as he shakes his head. “Tooru… he told me that the device was still in Kentarou’s neck… that he couldn’t be truly free, that… his choices weren’t really his…” Iwaizumi turns his eyes back to Yahaba, and Yahaba can’t bring himself to look away. “I believed him…”

“So… which is it?” Yahaba asks, voice barely audible over the drumming of the rain. “Did he or did he not love me?”

Iwaizumi’s shaking his head, slowly at first before he picks up in speed and he drops his head down to stop. “I don’t know what to think… I… I want to believe he loved you, if only so my little brother didn’t die with hate consuming him…” He starts sobbing again, his shoulders shaking with the sound.

Yahaba remains silent, letting Iwaizumi wallow in his mourning.

The rain slows enough for the pattering to become inconsistent around them, and Yahaba wonders if the others are growing concerned. There’s something thick in the air, but Yahaba can’t place what it could be - it’s not a smell really, or even a chill. Perhaps a wave of warmth? He’s not quite sure.

Iwaizumi finally lifts his head, coughing as he catches his breath and keeps himself from crying anymore. He looks at Yahaba, his eyes glistening with tears and dull in color. “I’m sorry… I’m so sorry, Yahaba…”

Yahaba doesn’t want his apology. He doesn’t want to accept it or hear it. But Iwaizumi is the only person who can understand him right now - the only one who could relate to his situation and quite possibly the only person who understood Kyoutani better than anyone.

“Kentarou quite possibly was in love with you,” Iwaizumi sniffs, rubbing at his nose and eyes, “and he wanted to claim you… he would have claimed you, even without asking me…”

He winces at that, “I… what?”

Iwaizumi shakes his head once, “it’s custom to ask the leader for permission to claim someone - either way, that doesn’t matter… I should have said yes…” He scoffs, “Kentarou would have done it without my permission…”

Yahaba’s face is heating and Iwaizumi eyes him for a moment. “I… he…”

“I know he didn’t though,” Iwaizumi shifts his legs around, the mud sloshing under his movements, “I can smell it…”

Yahaba’s face is burning now.

“Anyway, Kentarou wanted to claim you, and since he can’t now,” he shrugs, “I can accept you as family in his honor…”

“I… thank you…?”

Iwaizumi gives him a look, “did he ever tell you his name…?”

Yahaba shakes his head, “I only knew him as Kyoutani.”

“That explains something,” Iwaizumi sits a little straighter, “well, whether it was his choice or not, Kentarou loved you. And, more importantly, you loved him.”

“I did,” Yahaba takes a deep breath, “I do…”

Iwaizumi hums, reaching out to pat Yahaba’s shoulder. “Then you’re my brother, Shigeru.” He gawks at him, and Iwaizumi laughs. “Tooru told me your name a few times,” he explains, “said he thought of you as a little brother, too… that you were special, but he wouldn’t say how.”

Yahaba shifts, trying to stretch his legs a little. “So… your people call one another by your given names if you’re family?”

Iwaizumi shrugs, “direct family, yeah. And only when we’re alone…”

“And… his name was Kentarou?”

“Kyoutani Kentarou,” Iwaizumi nods, “my little brother… my _desava_.”

Yahaba shifts a little closer. “ _Desava_...?”

“Kentarou didn’t tell you?” Iwaizumi shakes his head, “then I won’t either.”

Yahaba glares at him. “Iwaizumi—”

“Hajime,” Iwaizumi cuts in, “we’re brothers, Shigeru. You can call me Hajime.”

Sighing, Yahaba licks his lips and starts again, “ _Hajime_ , how am I supposed to understand him if you won’t—”

“Shigeru, I’m not going to explain to you his position in the tribe,” Iwaizumi frowns, “Kentarou didn’t tell you for a reason; think of him the way you always have.”

Scowling, Yahaba stands and glares down at him. “The only thing I can think about is when he fell!”

Iwaizumi stands as well, staring at Yahaba with concern. “What…?”

“I had him!” He shouts, holding his arms open. “I had him, caught in a hovering spell! But I… I couldn’t handle it!” Yahaba points to the bandages on his arms, and Iwaizumi gapes at them. “I tore my arms apart trying to keep him up, but he started yelling at me to let go - t-to _drop him_ and I…! I let go!”

“Shigeru—”

“I let go of the man I love,” Yahaba keeps going, grabbing his arms as the phantom throbbing begins to pulse under the wounds, “and I watched him fall into the abyss because I couldn’t save him…” His face feels wet, and he wants to blame the rain, but the rain has stopped and the shelter Watari created is still humming above them. “He saved me and… and I couldn’t bring him back to the cliff…”

Iwaizumi’s heat surrounds him, and Yahaba freezes in his hold. “Shigeru, I’m sorry I ever blamed you,” he whispers, voice ghosting over Yahaba’s ear. “You… you tried to save him - you didn’t kill him…”

Yahaba shudders at his words, shaking his head. “He’s gone, it’s all my fault…”

“There was nothing you could do…”

“ _I lost him_ ,” Yahaba sobs, but Iwaizumi holds him closer. He can’t breathe and it’s impossible to catch his breath as he burries his face into Iwaizumi’s chest and wraps his arms around him. “ _I killed him_...”

“You did nothing wrong,” Iwaizumi squeezes his hold on Yahaba, and it’s almost comforting to be held in his strong embrace. Iwaizumi doesn’t let go until Yahaba stops sobbing, and even then they don’t part. Iwaizumi loosens his hold on Yahaba and rubs at his back, and the feeling sends a shiver up Yahaba’s spine. “I understand how you feel,” he murmurs, “I couldn’t save Tooru, either…”

He’s right, and Yahaba knows it. They had both lost their loves, and they both could do nothing as they watched their most important people die. Sniffling, Yahaba nods into the crook of Iwaizumi’s shoulder and Iwaizumi pulls back to look at him.

“Tooru and Kentarou though,” he smiles, but it doesn’t look real, “they wouldn’t want us to be like this…”

Yahaba nods again, and Iwaizumi swipes at his cheeks with his thumbs. Yahaba feels warm still, but he doesn’t believe it’s from Iwaizumi’s embrace. “Right,” he croaks, and Iwaizumi’s smile grows a little more. “We… we need to keep moving… the destruction from before—”

“That destruction had to be the path that _Shen_ made,” Iwaizumi agrees, dropping his hold from Yahaba’s face. “We need to get the others, and we’re going to need to be careful we don’t run into any Karasuno Top Tiers.”

Nodding to each other again, they both turn and immediately come to a stop when they find they’re not alone.

Standing a few feet away is a young man with dark, straight hair and serious blue eyes. At his side is a shorter male with glowing orange eyes that match his messy hair. The shorter is clearly a Beast, his clothes similar to Iwaizumi’s, though the furs of his clothes are black with feathers, and a swirling red design sits on his left shoulder. The taller one on the other hand is a Wizard, his clothes black with orange designs. His cloak is thick and black as well, the clasp on the front adorned with the black diamond symbol all Top Tiers wore in Karasuno. However, he is the last Wizard Yahaba thought he’d ever meet.

“K-Kageyama,” Yahaba stutters, gaping at the duo, “you’re a Top Tier in Karasuno…?”

He seems to be taken aback by this question, staring at Yahaba with surprise. “You know me?”

“You were the Wizard Oikawa felt threatened by,” Yahaba says without thinking, “an amazing spellcaster well on his way to being a Top Tier in Seijou…”

“Until he was caught using Dark Magic,” someone cuts in, and they all turn to find Kindaichi and the others joining them in the clearing. “Hello, Kageyama…”

“Kindaichi,” Kageyama scowls, “why are you here?”

“That’s not important,” Kindaichi dismisses his question, coming to stand between Yahaba and Kageyama, “what I want to know is why Karasuno would let a Wizard who uses Dark Magic become a Top Tier.”

Kageyama narrows his eyes. “I never used Dark Magic, that was a lie!” He points around Kindaichi now towards Iwaizumi, and Yahaba begins to worry that Kageyama had heard everything. “And what about Four, there! He’s clearly free - where’s your crappy king, huh!?”

Yahaba turns to stare at Iwaizumi, who tenses at the mention of Oikawa. Kindaichi takes a step back, gawking at Kageyama. “You can’t be serious,” Kindaichi shakes his head, “are you really that dumb…?”

Kageyama frowns at this, “what do you mean? I know Oikawa is your king, he was here when Queen Shimizu was crowned and he had that Beast with him.”

Iwaizumi steps forward, and everyone focuses on him. “Oikawa is dead, Kageyama,” he says, and Kageyama’s eyes widen in surprise. “He’s been dead for months.”

“But,” he shakes his head, “Lord Sawamura said…”

“I watched him burn myself,” Iwaizumi continues on, and Kageyama gapes at him.

Kageyama doesn’t look convinced, “Oikawa is too powerful to just burn… I don’t understand…”

Just as Kindaichi looks as if he’s about to start yelling, Watari steps in with his hands up in a calming manner. “Kageyama, it’s true - the King of Seijou is dead,” he says, and Kageyama continues to stare at everyone in shock. “But more importantly… are you the reason the rain stopped…?”

Everyone is staring at Kageyama now, who only looks confused. “Huh…?”

“He means there’s a powerful wave of magic coming from you,” Kunimi explains, stepping up to Kindaichi’s side and placing a hand at his back, “and it’s been hanging in the air since the rain started letting up.”

Yahaba finally recognises the warmth that permeated the air when the rain began to slow to a stop. It’s coming in thick from Kageyama, and now it’s easy to tell what it is.

It’s Kageyama’s magic.

“Oh,” Kageyama starts, as though he’d forgotten he was doing anything at all. The warmth of his magic drops immediately, and slowly but surely, the rain begins to thrum down upon them again. “Sorry, it’s easier to search the Everblack Woods when it’s not raining.”

No one has an answer to this, and Yahaba gulps as realization of the situation hits him dead on.

They’re in the Everblack Woods with a very powerful Karasuno Top Tier standing right in front of them. Unknown territory with several ravines and muddy, uneven grounds. There was no way they’d be able to get out of this without a fight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (I'm so sorry, this chapter is pretty bad...)


	31. Insessin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone!! I'm still going to be moving soon and could really use some help, [click the link and find out more on how you can help, while also getting some sweet charms!](http://mellowdoodles.tumblr.com/tagged/Illusion-of-Choice-charm-preorders)

Kageyama is looking between all of them, an intense look of concentration on his face as he takes in their appearances. His small Beast is doing the same, much to Yahaba’s surprise. “Why are you all here?” Kageyama asks, and brings Yahaba’s attention back to him.

Yahaba steps forward to answer him, “that depends - what did Lord Sawamura tell you about Oikawa?”

“He didn’t,” Kageyama cuts himself off with a groan and frowns, glancing to his Beast, “he didn’t say Oikawa was murdered…”

“He wasn’t murdered,” Yahaba starts, shaking his head, “not technically… the Magic Council had him burned for treason.”

Kageyama doesn’t look surprised, and he pulls his gaze away from the small Beast at his side. “What did he do?”

“He,” Yahaba bites his lip, glancing back to Iwaizumi.

Iwaizumi scowls back at him, “it was found that he had married me.”

This does seem to surprise Kageyama, and Yahaba notices that ‘Ten’ - he thinks that’s who it is - tense in response. “You…? Oikawa married the leader of the Beast tribe in the Dark Forest?”

Yahaba focuses on Kageyama and gapes at him; as far as he knew, it wasn’t common knowledge that Beasts had various tribes, let alone that the red marks meant they were leaders. “How did you know that?”

Kageyama doesn’t answer, “Lord Sawamura’s report from his trip to Seijou never mentioned Oikawa’s death, and he also didn’t say Oikawa had married a Beast - all he said was that there was much to be done in the war against the Beasts.”

This doesn’t make sense. “And the Magic Council? What did Lord Ukai report to you all?”

Kageyama’s brow furrows in confusion. “Lord Ukai…? What does he—”

“He’s of the Magic Council,” Yahaba’s growing impatient, “he was one of the people who determined Oikawa was to be executed! The same council that has called for Top Tiers to capture me, dead or alive!” Watari grabs his shoulder then, and looking back to his friends, Yahaba realizes he’s said too much.

“I,” Kageyama takes a step back when Yahaba turns back to him, ‘Ten’ glancing between them. He looks appalled, and even more confused than before. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. Lord Ukai hasn’t given anyone any type of orders for capturing you - I don’t even know who you are.”

Yahaba stares at him. “What…?”

“What did you do that the Magic Council wants you dead?” Kageyama asks, and Yahaba notices him shift his stance, narrowing his eyes on Yahaba. Even ‘Ten’, who honestly has been acting strange this whole time, seems to be focusing intensely on Yahaba. “What could you have done that would have been so treasonous?”

Yahaba’s not sure how to answer. ‘Ten’s focus on him is making him agitated, and it doesn’t help that Kageyama is now looking at him as if he’s a threat - he should have kept his mouth shut.

“Probably has something to do with that barely half claimed scent I can smell on him,” a new voice says, and it takes Yahaba a second to realize ‘Ten’ is the one who spoke. His glare is heavy on Yahaba, and he looks disgusted.

Kageyama slowly turns to ‘Ten’ with a sneer before smacking the shorter over the head. “You _idiot_! You weren’t supposed to talk!”

‘Ten’ is clutching his head, his glare dropped in favor of a pitiful frown as he stares up at Kageyama. “Mean, Kageyama! Kageyama is _mean_!”

The two begin to argue and Yahaba can do nothing except stare. He glances back to his friends, and he finds that all them are doing the same. No one seems to know what to do when Kageyama and ‘Ten’ begin to smack each other, though it’s clear they’re not really trying to hurt one another.

“What the Hell is going on?” Yahaba asks, and they both stop, ‘Ten’s fist pulling at Kageyama’s collar while Kageyama is pulling on ‘Ten’s orange locks. “He… he’s free…?”

Releasing one another, Kageyama and ‘Ten’ share a brief look before they’re both nodding slowly. “No one’s supposed to know,” Kageyama grumbles, “but this idiot likes to talk…”

‘Ten’ scowls, smacking Kageyama’s arm, “hey! I’m not an idiot!”

“Lord Sawamura was so mad when he found out,” Kageyama sighs, scratching his chin, “I got such an earful from him…”

Yahaba can’t believe what he’s hearing. “Lord Sawamura… he didn’t mind?”

Kageyama sends him a look, “Lord Sawamura is kind - actually, most people in Karasuno are kind… well, except Tsukishima, but he’s an asshole to everyone…”

“He’s nice to Yamaguchi!” ‘Ten’ jumps high into the air to get Kageyama’s attention back, “I trust him to treat my _faemn_ well!”

“Whatever, Hinata,” Kageyama scoffs, looking away from ‘Ten’ (apparently Hinata), much to the little beast’s annoyance. 

Yahaba has to shake his head from the distracting argument. “I don’t… I don’t understand! Karasuno Top Tiers are known to be aggressive and… and warriors who hunger for battle!”

Kageyama and Hinata both stare at him until Hinata busts up laughing, pointing at his Wizard companion. “Hear that, Kageyama? You’re evil!”

This earns him another smack over his head. “Shut up, dumbass! I’m not evil!”

Kindaichi huffs, crossing his arms and glaring at Kageyama. “I doubt it, you were caught with Dark Magic after all.”

Kageyama focuses on Kindaichi this time, a heavy and dark aura working its way from Kageyama’s being. “Stop saying that - it was a lie and you know it.”

“I only know what my king had said,” Kindaichi counters, narrowing his eyes, “and he said you were found practicing Dark Magic.”

“Oikawa’s a liar!” Kageyama shouts, stepping closer to Kindaichi. “I never once practiced Dark Magic, it was all him!”

Kindaichi grows tense at this, “how dare you? We tell you he’s been killed and you still have the audacity to accuse him of something so horrible?”

Kageyama seems to regret his words, but he holds his glare firm on Kindaichi. “You don’t know anything about what happened back then…”

“I know enough,” Kindaichi mutters before he turns to Yahaba. “Tell him, Yahaba; you were Oikawa’s student, you know he’d never do anything like that.”

Yahaba looks between the two of them, both glaring for different reasons as they wait for Yahaba’s answer. Gulping, Yahaba steps back and shakes his head. “I… I want to say Oikawa would never use Dark Magic, but…”

Kindaichi gapes at him a Kageyama relaxes, nodding. “Oikawa was good at tricking people to get his way,” Kageyama says, making Yahaba feel uneasy from his confident tone. “He didn’t like me, so he got rid of me with lies.”

“You were just jealous that he was better than you at magic,” Kindaichi accuses, frowning to himself. “Whatever, believe what you want - I know Oikawa was a good person.”

Kageyama stares at him a moment before nodding. “I don’t think using Dark Magic makes someone a bad person; Oikawa never wanted to kill anyone… I,” he glances to Hinata, who nods with a soft smile, “I’m… suh-soar… sorr…”

Hinata sighs and deadpans with a roll of his eyes, “he’s sorry for your loss…”

“Shut up, dumbass! I was gonna say it!” Kageyama turns, ready to swipe at Hinata only for the shorter man to duck out of the way with a chuckle.

Before the two could begin to argue again, Iwaizumi steps forward to stand beside Yahaba, holding his shoulder supportively. “Thank you for the condolences, Kageyama. We appreciate it, even if you had a bad relationship with Tooru.” Kageyama and Hinata both turn to him, Kageyama nodding with a softer expression on his face. Hinata, however, narrows his eyes at Iwaizumi as though he were suspicious of his words. “We would appreciate it if you let us continue on, especially if there aren’t any orders for you to capture us,” Iwaizumi continues on, and Hinata’s suspicious expression shifts to a glare.

“I can do that,” Kageyama nods, not seeming to pick up on Hinata’s sudden anger. “Before I do though, can I ask why you’re even in Karasuno?” He’s frowning now, adding on, “does it have anything to do with why Oikawa was killed for marrying you?”

Iwaizumi nods and drops his hand from Yahaba’s shoulder, “it sort of does.”

“We’re here for something that belongs to us,” Watari jumps in, and Yahaba turns to him in surprise. “It… sort of got out of our hands and might be what caused the destruction in the Everblack Woods.”

Kageyama grows tense. “You’re looking for it, too?”

“Too…?” Watari asks, and Yahaba bites his lip.

“Is… that why you’re out here, Kageyama?” Yahaba asks, and Kageyama nods.

“Hinata and I are looking for what destroyed the Everblack Woods like this,” he admits, and Hinata growls. Looking down at him, Kageyama’s brow furrows in confusion when he sees that Hinata is still glaring at Iwaizumi. “What’s your problem?”

“ _Insessin dask watmel tisd Hurbasc_ ,” Hinata snarls, and Iwaizumi shifts into a defensive stance in front of Yahaba.

Yahaba looks around the group and is quick to notice all the Wizards are in various states of confusion. Kunimi is tense beside Kindaichi, but he’s glaring at Hinata just like Iwaizumi.

“ _Insessin dask watmel Presse_?” Iwaizumi replies, and Yahaba focuses on him then. The last word he had said sounded familiar, but Yahaba can’t place where he’d heard it.

“ _Presse lefide vot Insessin. Hurbasc vot tisd Pandem, Pandem sived_ ,” Hinata goes on, the words lost to Yahaba’s understanding.

Watari is gaping at him. “Dead…?”

Yahaba stares at his friend. “Who?”

“I—”

Iwaizumi cuts into whatever Watari is saying with a hurried sentence, his tone defensive but forceful. Hinata scoffs at whatever is said, and Yahaba can only stare at the shorter Beast. Kageyama is staring at Hinata as well, obviously lost to whatever conflict is happening here.

Kunimi steps forward then, saying something that Yahaba can barely catch along the lines of “ _Hurbasc dask watmel Presse, tisd Insessin. Flal._ ”

“ _Fisata har_ ,” Hinata spits at Kunimi, and Yahaba at least understood that to most likely mean “fuck you.”

Kunimi shakes his head and says something more, the only thing Yahaba able to understand being “ _Sugawara_ ” due to having heard the word from Kuroo once before. He thinks it may be a name, especially when Hinata straightens and mutters it back with a frown.

“ _Fisata har tisd_ ,” Hinata mumbles, and Iwaizumi straightens as well.

“Thank you,” Iwaizumi answers, and Yahaba wants to pull his hair out. “I’m certain Sugawara will appreciate his _desava_ calming down as well when the situation calls for it.”

Hinata scoffs, crossing his arms. “Whatever,” he mumbles, and Yahaba still has no idea what happened or what he could have possibly missed.

“What just happened?” Kageyama asks, and Hinata doesn’t answer him. Looking around at the others, Kageyama waits for any kind of answer. “Uh… okay?”

Taking a deep breath and choosing to ignore the tension between Hinata and Iwaizumi, Yahaba steps around Iwaizumi. “We need to find what caused the destruction,” he explains, Kageyama watching him closely as Hinata turns his glare on him. “It’s extremely important that we get the thing that tore a path through the Everblack Woods.”

Kageyama hesitates before sighing, turning to Hinata. “What do you think?”

Hinata seems surprised that Kageyama would even ask him. “Oh… uh…”

“You don’t seem to like them, but I guess that’s a Beast thing,” Kageyama mumbles, scratching his arm awkwardly. “Should we leave them to it?”

Hinata gapes at him for a second more and shakes his head. “No! We’ve been trying to find what did this for weeks!”

Kageyama nods and turns back to Yahaba. “Sorry, it’s a no go. We need to find what did this and report it back to Lord Sawamura.”

Yahaba grits his teeth. “You don’t understand - it’s… it’s fate of the world level of importance!”

Kageyama’s brows knit together and Hinata scoffs. “Fate of the world? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Think it means something’s threatening the world and they can stop it,” Kageyama answers, and Hinata gives him a look.

“Yeah, thanks for explaining that…”

“Not my fault you’re slow,” Kageyama replies, clearly missing the sarcasm. Hinata can only stare him with an unamused expression. “How is it for the fate of the world?” Kageyama asks, turning to Yahaba again.

Yahaba licks his lips, trying to think of something that would make sense.

“ _Yovoisure_ ,” Kunimi answers, and Hinata immediately whips around to look at him in shock. “It’s nearly destroyed the entirety of Seijou’s lands as well as our home.”

Kageyama nods, “I understand.”

“No,” Hinata shakes his head and focuses on Kageyama now, “no you don’t! _Yovoisure_ is… it’s a myth!”

“It’s real and I’ve seen it,” Kunimi states, gesturing to Yahaba now. “He’s killed _yovoisuronal_.”

Yahaba can’t deny it, looking at Hinata as calmly as he can. Hinata gawks at him, his eyes shaking in fear. “You… how…?”

“It sent a smaller one after us here in the Everblack Woods,” Yahaba explains, his throat growing tighter with each word. “It… killed Kyoutani.”

Kunimi and Kindaichi are staring at him now, and Watari focuses his gaze on the muddied ground. Iwaizumi is watching him, stepping closer in a form of quiet comfort as Hinata and Kageyama take this information in.

“ _Hurbasc desava_... is dead?” Hinata asks, his voice soft and disbelieving.

Yahaba can’t respond. Iwaizumi’s shoulder brushes his, and it’s suddenly easier to keep from breaking.

Kageyama shifts his weight then, nodding to himself. “Understood… Hinata, you stay here.”

Hinata flails then, looking shocked at the suggestion. “W-what?! Why?! Where are you going?!”

“To the castle for supplies,” Kageyama replies, inclining his head towards Yahaba and his friends. “We’re going to help them find whatever tore through the trees.”

Hinata stops flailing, his jaw hanging open. “We… we are?”

“Yeah,” Kageyama shifts the strap of the bag on his shoulder and turns to leave. “Watch them, I’ll be back.”

They all watch him leave, the rain getting heavier the further he moves away. With him, the warmth in the air dissipates and Yahaba shivers at the thought of ever having to face Kageyama in battle - there is no way he’d ever be able to win, especially with how he currently is.

Hinata sighs and crosses his arms, glaring at the group before him. “So what exactly caused the destruction?”

“ _Shen_ ,” Watari answers, “Oikawa found it before he died, but… we kind of lost it when we started traveling North…”

Snickering, Hinata glances to Iwaizumi and Kunimi before focusing on Yahaba. “Did you meet Kuroo?”

Yahaba nods. “He was helpful, lead us to _Lome_...”

“ _Lome_...? Wait, do you need all the Cardinal Elements?”

“You know about them?” Yahaba asks, feeling a little better about having Hinata and Kageyama help them.

Hinata shrugs, “sort of. They’re important to history but I, uh… fell asleep whenever Sugawara talked about them…”

Yahaba’s shoulders slump. “Oh…”

“It’s alright, it doesn’t seem many people know about them,” Kunimi steps in, but it only earns him a glare from Hinata. Sighing, Kunimi steps back once more to stand just behind Kindaichi.

“Still, as _Insessin desava_ I should know this stuff!” Hinata argues, pouting to himself.

Yahaba perks up at the word. “You’re _desava_?”

Hinata smiles brightly, “yeah! It’s an honor!”

“What… does it mean?”

Hinata tilts his head, frowning. “Kyoutani didn’t tell you? You smell like he hung off of you every waking moment.”

Yahaba feels his face burn at this, as well as a sinking feeling in his stomach. “He… uh… didn’t want me to know…”

“That’s weird, he should have told you,” Hinata hums, rubbing his chin. “ _Hurbasc_ are so strange…”

Iwaizumi sighs, catching Yahaba and Hinata’s attention. “My people are not strange, and it’s not so weird for someone to reject their place in the world.”

Hinata glares at him. “Yeah, well, _desava_ should be proud to be chosen!”

“Are you saying my brother was a fool?” Iwaizumi challenges, stranding a bit straighter to exemplify his height advantage over Hinata.

It doesn’t seem to bother Hinata. “Yeah, I am!” He goes on to say something else in their language that Yahaba can’t even catch a single word from, but it’s clear it angers Iwaizumi.

Stepping back, Yahaba leans closer to Watari as he watches Iwaizumi and Hinata begin to yell at one another. “What are they even saying?”

“I’m honestly not really sure,” Watari replies, “something about a war?”

Kunimi heaves a sigh, “they’re talking about the war between us and _Presse_ , the snow tribe Kuroo is the leader of…”

Nodding slowly, Yahaba watches as Hinata steps back from Iwaizumi’s slow approach. He’s clearly intimidated by Iwaizumi, so why is he still arguing? “What’s Hinata’s tribe?”

“ _Insessin_ , our sister tribe,” Kunimi answers. “It means rain or river depending on context. We _Hurbasc_ come from the same ancestry, but Sugawara, the _Insessin_ leader, sided with Kuroo. They weren’t directly involved with the war, but they weren’t helpful if we came near their lands.”

Yahaba lowers his gaze, trying to picture the map of their world. Considering Hinata’s tribe seems to be the main one captured for Karasuno Wizards, Yahaba is certain that means that the Everblack Woods are home to _Insessin_. In comparison, the Dark Forest is home to _Hurbasc_ which, if he remembers correctly, literally means forest. It’s hard to tell on a map where the Dark Forest ends and the Everblack Woods begins sometimes, and while Yahaba has never been to the border, he’s pretty sure it’s even more difficult in person.

It explains why Iwaizumi wasn’t sure about parts of the Dark Forest when they were traveling North; if he couldn’t go anywhere near the Everblack Woods without risking being attacked by his sister tribe, why would he explore close to the Northern border?

The argument between Hinata and Iwaizumi is clearly getting worse and Yahaba wonders what could be said to calm the smaller Beast down. Kunimi steps in then, pushing his leader back to stare down at Hinata.

“You’re wrong about us,” he simply says, and Hinata blinks up at him. “We care deeply for our brothers and sisters, and losing one so close is more damaging than anything. As for _Pandem_ , it was with much regret we could not help, but I would stop bringing that up considering how little your tribe did to help as well.” Hinata lowers his head, clearly ashamed. “Now, out of respect for your leader, I suggest you back down in this argument and give Iwaizumi the same respect you give to Sugawara going forward from here.”

Hinata nods slowly, and Yahaba can’t help but wonder what it all meant. Missing out on everything exchanged between Hinata and Iwaizumi certainly isn’t going to help him understand, and if that’s how they’ll react to one another going forward, Yahaba isn’t sure he should even ask.

He at least understood what Kunimi meant in the beginning. Reaching out, Yahaba takes Iwaizumi’s shoulder and holds it tight. Iwaizumi relaxes a little, and shifts to press into his comforting touch. He knows exactly what pain Iwaizumi feels at losing Kyoutani, and to be questioned about it by a stranger must sting.

Watari is sending him a look, and Yahaba isn’t sure what to make of it.

“I suggest we all relax and find a place to sit while we wait for Kageyama,” Kunimi says, glancing over to his group. Yahaba nods and drops his hold on Iwaizumi’s shoulder, turning to Watari.

Watari doesn’t need to be told what Yahaba is thinking. He raises his hand and recreates the barrier from before, stopping the rain from pouring down onto them. Kindaichi moves to help, and Yahaba appreciates him not asking why he can’t do it himself.

Once the area becomes slightly less wet and only just a bit damp, Yahaba moves to a tree and sits at its roots to settle in for their wait. Everyone else moves to do the same, Watari joining Yahaba under his tree and pulling something from his bag.

Kindaichi and Kunimi find their own place under a tree and Yahaba bites back the smile that almost takes over when he sees Kindaichi pull out a book and begin to whisper things to Kunimi. He must be teaching his friend to read their language. Not wanting to impose on their moment, he turns his gaze to Hinata who’s picking at his nails and shaking his leg in impatience. Chuckling to himself, he settles on turning to Iwaizumi, who sags against the tree nearest to them, his expression sour and eyes dark. Yahaba frowns, worried that Hinata’s words affected him more than he had realized.

Watari taps his knee, and Yahaba turns to see he’s pulled a leatherbound book from his bag and turned to a blank page. On the page, he’s scribbled a quick message.

 _Are you with Iwaizumi now_?

Yahaba stares at the words, the accusation screaming in his head. He has no idea where Watari could have gotten the idea, and he can’t believe he’s even being asked this.

Watari seems to sense his shock, taking the book away to scribe another message underneath.

_Suddenly you two are close, touching each other and standing in one another’s space. Sorry, I just wanted to know if you already moved on from Kyoutani._

Moved on…? Yahaba can’t comprehend what that would even mean. Also, the idea of moving on from Kyoutani and instead being attracted to Iwaizumi is…

He glances to Iwaizumi then, focusing on his appearance. He could see why Iwaizumi would be considered attractive, he’s not blind. The man is good looking, a strong jawline shaping his handsome face and his strength made apparent by his bulging muscles. There are just as many scars on his body as there were on Kyoutani, and his eyes hold the same glowing shine that Kyoutani’s had.

He completely understands why Oikawa would fall for this man. Iwaizumi is good looking, and he has the respect of his tribe - he had the respect of Kyoutani, who doesn’t seem like the type to respect anything. He’s well known among other tribes and, from what little he saw of him before Oikawa’s death, Iwaizumi is a genuinely good person.

Iwaizumi suffered a lot these last few months in terms of loss. Yahaba was right there with him. If anyone understood him better than anybody, it would be Iwaizumi.

But Iwaizumi is not Kyoutani.

Iwaizumi is not the man he fell in love with, and even with any given length of time, Yahaba doubts he ever could fall for him. Iwaizumi and he were not meant to come together as lovers; they were brothers, brought together by the people who mattered most in the world.

Oikawa and Kyoutani may be gone, but Yahaba…

Yahaba knows they live on in his heart - in Iwaizumi’s heart. They were important figures and the only ones who truly mattered, and after failing to protect and save the ones they love, Iwaizumi and Yahaba have nothing left but one another.

Iwaizumi is not Kyoutani, just like Yahaba is not Oikawa. He could never do for Iwaizumi what Oikawa had done for him, and he knows that Iwaizumi would never compare to the warmth, the compassion, or the ecstasy that Kyoutani roused within Yahaba.

Yahaba and Iwaizumi lost the ones they loved, but they had one another. It was not the same, and Yahaba can’t imagine a future where he stood beside Iwaizumi the way he had wished to with Kyoutani. They were brothers now, and that’s all they would ever be.

Turning back to Watari, Yahaba takes the book and the quill and begins to write his answer.

_No, I’ll never move on from Kyoutani. Iwaizumi is my brother. Nothing more._

Giving the book back, Yahaba waits for Watari to read the words. His friend smiles, scribbling a response, and Yahaba feels the tension in his shoulders drop as he reads the words unspoken.

_Good, I’m glad._

They settle back against the tree and listen to the rain fall around them, soft murmurings from Kindaichi and Kunimi going unheard.

The rain doesn’t let up for a while before they hear someone approach, and everyone goes tense as they sit up straighter to look at the source. Yahaba holds his breath, anxious that a Top Tier has found them.

Kageyama steps into their tiny clearing however, and the rain goes soft as he walks through the trees. “Sorry, I ran into an issue…”

Yahaba pushes himself up, dusting off his robes from the dirt. “What do you mean?”

Kageyama stands aside, pulling Hinata to his feet before looking back. More people are approaching and Yahaba gapes at when he sees who it is.

Nishinoya grins when he sees him too, hurrying towards him and and Watari. “Yahaba, Watari! Oh it’s great to see you both are doing well!”

Yahaba doesn’t know how to respond, focusing instead on Nishinoya’s Beast as he steps up to stand beside Kageyama. ‘Three’ still has the blank look on his face, and Hinata is staring up at him sadly.

Nishinoya seems to understand what he’s looking at and his shoulders hang in sadness. “Yeah, ‘Three’ is still all zombied up…”

Yahaba feels his own shoulder drop at this, and Hinata sighs. “His name is Azumane, and he’s the best healer in the world,” Hinata replies, and Nishinoya jumps in surprise.

“Wh-what…?” Nishinoya hurries over to stare at Hinata closer, and Hinata leans back.

Kageyama scratches his neck. “Noya, I said I’d help you free ‘Three’ because… well, I freed Hinata…”

Nishinoya is looking between Kageyama and Hinata in shock. “You… he…”

“You really remind me of Tanaka,” Hinata mumbles, smiling a little, “I miss him…”

“Who’s Tanaka?” Nishinoya asks, but before Hinata can explain, he shakes his head and gestures to Azumane. “What did you say his name was?”

“Azumane, he’s the healer of my tribe,” Hinata answers, and Nishinoya immediately hurries over to Azumane.

“I-I’m glad to finally know your name, Azumane!” He grabs one of Azumane’s hands and begins to shake it. “I promise, you’ll be free in no time! We just have to help Kageyama out, alright!”

Hinata laughs, “I always knew you were a good Wizard to him!”

Kageyama smacks his forehead and sighs. “Why did I agree to this…?”

Nishinoya and Hinata both turn to him and immediately shout “because you’re so nice, Kageyama!”

It’s frightening, in all honesty.

As Nishinoya and Hinata begin to excitedly talk to one another, Kageyama steps around them and addresses Yahaba and his friends. “Sorry about him, he asked me what I was doing and wouldn’t leave me alone until I offered to free ‘Thr’A-Azumane for him.”

Yahaba nods, “it’s okay, we know Nishinoya from when he came to Seijou a few months ago.”

“Trust me, we completely understand what you mean about him not leaving you alone,” Watari deadpans, and Yahaba glances to his friend with worry.

Kageyama nods, “we should get going. There isn’t a lot of time to waste considering it’s past midday already.”

Iwaizumi, Kunimi, and Kindaichi step closer, Yahaba adjusting the strap of his bag with a firm nod. “Lead the way - you probably know more about the destruction than we do.”

Turning away, Kageyama grabs hold of Hinata and begins to drag him along. Nishinoya turns to Azume and gestures for him to follow, Yahaba and his friends moving to do the same. In the distance, Yahaba hears thunder cracking, and he briefly worries the storm won’t be easily stopped by Kageyama’s magic like the rain is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those that are curious, this is basically the convo between Hinata, Iwaizumi, and Kunimi that we kinda heard:  
> Hinata: my people don't like your people  
> Iwaizumi: it's because you homies with the Presse people, right?  
> Hinata: Presse homies are good to us. you people didn't even save Pandem.  
> Iwaizumi: we didn't have a choice  
> Kunimi: our conflict is with Presse, not Insessin, calm your tits  
> Hinata: fuck you  
> Kunimi: think of how Sugawara would react to your treating us like this  
> Hinata: ... fuck you redacted  
> Iwaizumi: thanks


	32. Destruction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's probably riddled with spelling errors because I had to use my phone that likes to autocorrect Kunimi to luminous. Sorry for the delay, I literally don't have a laptop anymore, my hours at work are ridiculous and tiring, and I'm moving this weekend. Enjoy.

Thunder rolls in the distance, and lightning begins to become visible in the skies above. The rain is getting heavier, thicker, coming down at a nearly horizontal angle from the wind, and the ground begins to break away underfoot. Trees are down, and the divet in the earth that cuts through the Everblack Woods begins to flood with water. The wind is getting louder, twisting a pulling at their clothes and hair, pushing into their eyes and pressing their bodies back in protest to their advancement through the woods.

Yahaba nearly stumbles for the hundredth time when Iwaizumi catches him, pulling him close and saying something. Even with the obvious strain to the way his jaw moves, Yahaba can’t hear him yelling over the wind. He may as well be whispering in this storm.

They must be getting close.

Kageyama couldn’t hold the rain back for long, and he struggles to lead them through the destruction that _Shen_ surely caused. Hinata is close at his heels, and Yahaba thinks he might be trying to talk to Kageyama, but how they may be able to hear one another is beyond him. Nishinoya is just behind them, looking back to check on Azumane every few moments. Yahaba would turn to check on Kindaichi and Kunimi behind him, but he worries he’ll never be able to face forward again with all the wind.

Watari is at his other side, giving Iwaizumi a look that suggests he thinks the leader of the forest tribe is an idiot. Yahaba doesn’t even think of an argument - he can’t hear anything, why does Iwaizumi bother trying to talk?

Thunder strikes within seconds of a flash of lightning, causing Yahaba to flinch at the tremors that crawl up from the ground and nearly bring him to his knees. The three of them stop to look to the sky, and for a moment, Yahaba wonders about _Acem_.

The whipping of his hair slows to a stop, and the hissing of wind around his ears dies within seconds, the sound of the rain slamming into the ground and trees suddenly deafening with the wind gone. Yahaba looks around himself at his companions and sees that everyone has stopped to see who could have stopped the wind.

Watari is the first to speak. “This isn’t right…” He’s not wrong, but something about the strange way the wind carried itself before suddenly disappearing reminds Yahaba of something.

“This storm is dangerous,” Kunimi says, his voice barely carrying over the sound of the rain. “We need to leave.”

Yahaba can’t place the story he’s heard before, where he knows this situation. Why would the wind just die like this?

“And go where?” Watari asks, turning to the rear of their group. “We’re so close, we can’t just turn back now!”

“We could die,” Kunimi argues, his voice growing firmer. “I’m not risking any lives for a Cardinal Element.”

“Many people will die if we don’t,” Iwaizumi jumps in, but Yahaba is stepping closer to where Nishinoya and Kageyama are looking up at the trees.

“What is it?” Yahaba asks, and they both look to him. Hinata is looking between them, leaning towards Azumane who stares ahead unblinking. The two Karasuno Wizards turn to him, both wearing different levels of uncertainty on their faces. “You know what this is - I… I think I know too, but—”

“Flurrywing,” Nishinoya interrupts, and the others all turn to him in surprise. Kageyama only frowns further. “I’m pretty sure this is a Flurrywing; you guys said it was the Eastern Element of Air that did this, right?”

Yahaba nods, and the the story of Flurrywing suddenly pushes to the forefront of his memories. “Flurrywing, the monstrous bird whose wings cause storms so strong they tear trees from their roots.”

Kageyama scoffs, “there’s no way it’s real…”

“It is,” Hinata pipes up, flinching to hide behind Azumane the second Yahaba and the other two focus on him. “I… well, I haven’t seen it, but Suga has…”

Nishinoya is scratching his head, “which one is Suga again?”

“Two,” Kageyama answers, turning back to Yahaba. “What do you think?”

Yahaba hesitates, looking to his friends. Watari and Kunimi seem apprehensive, and Kindaichi only seems uncertain. Iwaizumi meets his gaze, his eyes saying the only thing that Yahaba could possibly agree with. Turning back to Kageyama, Yahaba gestures towards where they were headed. “A Flurrywing is defeated - or at least deterred - when you push back with your own wind. We can fight it and move forward to where Air is waiting.”

Kageyama looks between Yahaba and Nishinoya, clearly doubting any of this. Sighing, he turns to flick Hinata in the nose, “you better be right, dumbass.”

Hinata is rubbing his nose as Kageyama walks past, continuing the way they were going. “I…! I am right, Kageyama!” Hinata calls after, hurrying to follow after.

Yahaba glances back to his friends to see them all begin to follow, and he moves to do the same when Nishinoya stops him. “Kageyama is powerful,” Nishinoya starts, his eyes serious, “but he’s no good with wind magic - it was the one thing Oikawa always refused to teach him.”

Yahaba doesn’t know what to say, Nishinoya not bothering to wait for a response before he hurries after Kageyama. Azumane seems to look at Yahaba for a second, holding his eyes until he turns to remain in Nishinoya’s shadow. Iwaizumi is at his side, pushing him forward to continue on the beaten path to _Shen_.

Kageyama may not be able to use wind magic, but surely Nishinoya can? Or even Watari, maybe? Kindaichi? Yahaba bites his lip, feeling the beginnings of a new breeze at his cheeks.

Oikawa never taught Kageyama anything, right? Yahaba was his first student, wasn’t he? Even if that wasn’t the case, wind magic was Oikawa’s favorite. There was no way he wouldn’t teach it to someone.

Yahaba couldn’t be the only wizard who knew wind magic here.

He takes a deep breath, preparing himself for the difficult walk as the wind gets worse once more. Pushing onward, Yahaba can only pray to the gods above that someone would be able to push back against the Flurrywing when it finally came down to it.

The scarred path in the Everblack Woods suddenly makes a turn, the water filling it giving Karasuno’s land yet another river. For a moment, Yahaba wonders if this means the river reaches all the way through to the Dark Forest.

What became of their kingdom in Seijou?

He doesn’t have time to think of what his home became, the air around them getting worse and worse by the second. Yahaba can barely keep his eyes open, the mud beneath his feet slipping out from under him and for a moment, he believes he’s not really moving no matter how many steps he takes. He can’t see anyone else around him, the biting winds beginning to cut into the fabric of his cloak.

Yahaba doesn’t stop struggling through the mud, pushing forward as much as he can and trying to see past the burning at his eyes when he attempts to open them. Everything is blurring in his vision, and he’s not sure if it’s the wind alone or if it’s the tears trying to wet his drying eyes. Yahaba tries to breathe in, but something seems to be blocking his airways.

There’s something in his throat, and Yahaba claws at his neck to try to push the feeling back up. He can’t think, can’t breathe, and the pounding in his head - in, out, around himself - it’s all too much. Something tingles in his fingers, and it stings, but not enough to stop.

Yahaba pushes out against the block and the creature disintegrates into the gusts of wind swirling around them. Gasping for air, Yahaba coughs and looks around to the best of his ability.

The others are struggling as well, Hinata on his knees and blue in the face as Kageyama tries to pull him up. Kunimi and Kindaichi are clutching the other’s arms, their faces red and tears streaming down their cheeks. Watari and Nishinoya are on their hands, the wind from the Flurrywing looking ready to send them flying. Iwaizumi is clutching Azumane, who no longer is conscious and is beginning to turn purple.

For a moment, all Yahaba can think is _they’re dying_ , and it’s all that it takes.

Holding his hands up, Yahaba doesn’t think about the pain, doesn’t allow himself to even consider that it may destroy his arms. The magic comes like second nature, the wind bending to his will and fighting against the gales brought on by the Flurrywing. For a moment nothing changes, and in the next, the suffocating air is pushed away, and the oxyanis that’s crawled their way into his friend’s throats are dispersing in the air that doesn’t welcome them.

Everyone collapses, coughing and choking on the air their bodies desperately call out for. Iwaizumi is gently resting Azumane down, Nishinoya trying to crawl over in his worry despite his own need for air. Kageyama and Hinata are trying to ask one another if they’re okay through their gagging breaths and Kunimi and Kindaichi are gulping up the air as if for the first time.

Yahaba sags to his knees when Watari finally catches his breath and stops wheezing long enough to look over to him. “You,” he croaks, and Yahaba glances down. “You did it…”

“I,” Yahaba gulps, lifting his hands and looking over the damage done. He’s shaking, and there are still tears in his clothes, but nothing that wasn’t already there before. No new blood. Nothing throbs in protest or agony. Licking his lips, Yahaba stares for a moment and finally nods. “I did it…”

“Yahaba,” Kageyama calls, and Yahaba turns to him now. Kageyama is patting Hinata’s head, though it looks kind of painful the way he rubs into his hair (Hinata looks ecstatic though, so Yahaba won’t judge). “Thank you…”

Nodding once, Yahaba stands and looks over the group to see everyone looking at him with different degrees of appreciation. Iwaizumi is smiling, looking proud as though Yahaba had accomplished something Iwaizumi had been worrying about for months.

He has. Yahaba knows he has accomplished exactly that. He knows his issue has been a strain between him, Watari, Iwaizumi, and…

There’s the twinge in his wrist, far too familiar but oh so distant. A glance tells Yahaba nothing is really wrong. It’s a phantom of a thought, not truly there, but familiar enough that it would never really go away. Like the pulse against his tongue when his mind goes blank for once, or a press of fingers on his back splaying to hold him close.

The rain begins to fall again, and Yahaba can’t help but look to the sky in surprise. He hadn’t noticed that his burst of magic not only pushed back against the Flurrywing’s gale, but also against the storm pouring down on them. It’s slow, the return of the rain, but it picks itself back up enough to become a steady rhythm again. 

The wind is faint, much more natural, and the thunder that rolls is further than it was before. The Flurrywing must have fled, taking the nasty oxyanis creatures with it. To think the nearly imperceptible monsters would find themselves taking flight on the coattails of a Flurrywing…

Taking a deep breath, Yahaba looks around at the group again. “We should keep going,” he says, and no one argues. Everyone stands except for Nishinoya, who remains at Azumane’s side. The Beast has yet to awaken. 

“Noya, are you coming?” Kageyama asks, and Nishinoya doesn’t move. He’s pushing Azumane’s hair from his face, focusing intently on his Beast. 

“I… I don’t think I should leave him,” Nishinoya replies, voice soft. The rain’s heavy pattering is the only sound that meets his words, Yahaba and Watari looking to one another in surprise. 

Kageyama shifts from one foot to the other before he finally nods. “Stay safe; return to the castle if you can,” he says, and Nishinoya only nods back. 

There’s a moment of hesitation from the rest of the group, but once Kageyama turns to continue on with Hinata hot on his heels, the rest fall in line as well. Yahaba is the last to move, watching Nishinoya as he shifts Azumane’s unconscious form to a more comfortable position. 

Nishinoya shows so much care for his gifted Beast and Azumane wasn’t even intended for him - possibly even resented him. Azumane has a fierce presence, but is regarded as a powerful healer amongst the tribes. How he feels about Nishinoya is unknown to everyone, even Azumane. The man isn’t even fully there when he is awake, but Nishinoya treats him as an equal. There’s something unconditional in the way he cares for Azumane, and Yahaba can’t help but wonder if Nishinoya feels for him the way Yahaba has felt for…

Shaking his head, Yahaba finally turns to follow the group. Watari and Iwaizumi are waiting for him, concern in their eyes as he approaches them. Yahaba doesn’t say anything as he passes them, falling back into the group as if he never hesitated for a moment. 

He knew it was possible that Azumane did have some opinion of Nishinoya at this point; Yahaba had been informed of instances by someone who, by all accounts, shouldn’t have even had an opinion of what he was seeing at the time. The moment Azumane is free to think for himself, Yahaba knows he’ll be able to respond to whatever it is Nishinoya is looking for in complete honesty. 

Assuming his device is removed. 

Licking his lips of the water that rolls down his face, Yahaba focuses on Hinata before him, his neck in particular. There’s a scar poking out of the high collar of his shirt, something dark and large enough to cover most of the area of skin there. It’s hard to say, but Yahaba is almost certain there isn’t a sleek black box embedded in the skin there. 

Hinata’s emotions are clear as day, and his banter with Kageyama is natural, smooth, almost as if they’d known each other for years. Iwaizumi himself spoke with a clear voice, his thoughts and feelings unpredictable and sometimes not what Yahaba has expected. 

Did Kyoutani make him feel that way? Did he give Yahaba reason to believe he was free from the beginning?

He couldn’t remember. 

Kyoutani… it hurt to think of him but the man had become so important in such a short amount of time. Yahaba knew he loved Kyoutani. He still loves Kyoutani. But… were his feelings returned? And if they were, was it Kyoutani’s true feelings or…

Or something else altogether?

The idea frightened Yahaba in more ways than he’d ever like to admit. 

Noticing that Kageyama and Hinata were frozen before him, Yahaba’s musings had to come to an end as he stopped just a few steps behind them. Iwaizumi and Watari do the same, and from the way the mud no longer sloshes behind them, Yahaba knows Kindaichi and Kunimi have stopped as well. 

Yahaba can’t see what has caused the two before him to stop, but when Kageyama suddenly shouts Hinata’s name and dives at him, Yahaba knows it’s not good. 

The explosive crash sends him and his friends tumbling back, and the tree that had been beside Hinata cracks in half before crumbling down. Yahaba is grabbed by both Watari and Iwaizumi in order to avoid the falling tree, but their dodging results in losing sight of Kageyama and Hinata. Yahaba’s frantically looking around, trying to find where they may have gone when the cause of the crash catches his attention. 

With the storm, Yahaba had expected _Acem_ to rear its ugly form. But no…

It’s a small Phantom, it’s form flickering in the darkness and seeming larger than Yahaba remembered. The cover of the Everblack Forest gives the miniature Phantom more shape, more mobility. Or so it would seem, as the creature now lunges at them, and Yahaba can do nothing as it grabs hold of him.

Iwaizumi is shouting something, slashing at the darkness that swarms Yahaba’s arm. There’s no pain however, and Iwaizumi’s claws strike at nothing when the Phantom’s fizzling form breaks away to nothing before reappearing a few feet away. Yahaba catches sight of Kageyama sitting up on the other side of the now destroyed tree, Hinata attempting to sit up as well before Kageyama shoves him back down.

“This is the Hollow Body Phantom?” Kageyama yells, the creature’s misty form shriveling as though it has turned towards him. “It’s so tiny!”

Yahaba shakes his head, “this is just a smaller version…!”

“ _Yovoisuronal_ ,” Iwaizumi snarls, focused on the manifested darkness before them.

Hinata pushes himself up, panic in his eyes. “Kageyama, wait—”

“Whatever, it can’t win with all of us here,” Kageyama grunts, standing as he raises his arms in preparation of a spell. Yahaba feels the pull of his magic, the air going thick around them in response to the powerful shift.

Heat encases them then, and Yahaba has to shield his eyes from the sudden light. It’s blindingly bright, and he’s not sure what it could possibly be - for a moment, he thinks fire, but fire doesn’t shine this way. Once the heat subsides, Yahaba drops his hand and opens his eyes cautiously, looking about the area to see what had become of the Phantom.

For a moment, there is nothing. No one moves, the rain has gone silent and the air still feels thick. The trees about them seem to glow from the light that’s no longer among them, and soon Yahaba realizes what magic Kageyama had cast.

“Light magic,” he murmurs, and Kageyama meets his eye with a nod. “How could anyone ever claim you used dark magic?”

Kageyama shrugs, “Oikawa always hated how good I was at light magic…”

Iwaizumi huffs softly, and Yahaba wonders if it’s from amusement. Behind him, he hears Kindaichi click his tongue, but is glad to not hear another argument arise.

Hinata is leaping to his feet, grabbing hold of Kageyama in excitement. “You…! You’re _amazing_!”

Kageyama’s face burns red at this, and the glow of the trees begins to die down. “I… I just figured… shadows don’t like light, right?”

Hinata’s head is rapidly nodding with the toothiest grin on his face, but Yahaba is afraid his neck will snap. “You’re so smart! I…! I didn’t even…! Wow!”

Iwaizumi leans towards Yahaba, a smirk on his lips. “Oikawa always said this kid was a moron in life, but a genius in magic…”

Yahaba can’t fight the grin that takes over his lips. Iwaizumi’s eyes are dancing with happiness, and for a fraction of a second, he hopes that his own successes would make this man proud; clearly, Oikawa’s spirit lives on within Iwaizumi, even without the enchanted book.

The light of the trees finally dies down enough that the Everblack Woods returns to its forever shadowed appearance. Even without the light, Yahaba feels comfort in knowing that someone is among them that can defeat the Hollow Body Phantom.

Light magic is tricky, and he has never been able to get a grasp on it himself. Frowning, Yahaba thinks back to when he first encountered the Hollow Body Phantom and the spell he had cast without a thought.

Had that been his one success at light magic?

“Maybe we should keep moving,” Watari suddenly says, and everyone glances around at one another to gauge the general response. Sighing, Watari nods toward Kageyama. “Just because one little Phantom is gone doesn’t mean there aren’t more, never mind the Flurrywing from before could return to protect the Eastern Element considering how scared it must have been if it caused all this destruction.”

Yahaba licks his lips, the rain returning once more. “You’re right; the Flurrywing must be here because of _Shen_.”

“It’s creator,” Kindaichi sighs, “go figure… anyone know of any other creature created by the Eastern Element of Air that might attack us?”

Everyone takes a moment to contemplate this question. “No,” Kunimi finally answers, “ _Shen_ is possibly the most gentle of the elements… even the Flurrywing doesn’t mean to bring harm to humans.”

“Oxyanis do, though,” Yahaba says, his brow furrowing. “They feed off of a human’s breathing.”

“Oxyanis weren’t meant to harm humans though,” Watari counters, “they were just… an afterthought, almost.”

“ _Shen_ doesn’t do afterthoughts,” Kunimi shakes his head. “Oxyanis were—”

“Does it really matter?” Iwaizumi cuts in, and everyone turns to him. “Forget about it, what’s important is that we know there’s three potential threats standing in the way of us getting _Shen_ \- a Flurrywing, oxyanis, and any other miniature Phantoms.”

It’s distant, practically faint, but the thunder that sounds a second later reminds Yahaba of the storm that they’d traveled through. “We should still be cautious,” he gulps when Iwaizumi sends him a questioning look, “ _Acem_ may appear.”

Iwaizumi stands a little straighter a nods once. “Living Lightning…”

Hinata groans, “I hate those…”

“Let’s get moving then,” Yahaba starts towards the downed tree, climbing over it’s split trunk and splashing in the mud on the other side. “We need to get to _Shen_.”

The mud squishing under their feet tells Yahaba they were following without a word, and they venture further into the Everblack Woods alongside it’s newest river, now nearly full from the downpour Karasuno has experienced today.

It doesn’t take long before the wind picks back up, and for a moment Yahaba fears the Flurrywing may be back. Cautious, Yahaba raises his hand and conjures a small gust of his own wind to combat against the strong gales, the smallest twinge of pain shooting through his knuckles before settling down again. He’s determined to avoid any damage, especially if it means saving his friends.

His simple spell doesn’t hold for long, the wind getting worse as they continue along the riverbend. It’s when the wind becomes too much to hold back with such a simple spell that the river widens out and becomes something more of a small lake, or perhaps a large pond. The water within is shifting, turning with it’s own tides caused by the spiral of wind at its center.

Hanging in the air, with a cyclone of water, leaves, and various other debris, is the Eastern Element of Air.

Yahaba takes in a deep breath and holds his palms out, forcing a spell that should protect them from this wind storm. The wind is still strong within their bubble, but Yahaba can finally hear the voices around him.

“—azing, how is it doing that?” Kindaichi is musing to himself, unknowing that his voice would suddenly be heard.

“What the heck is that thing?” Kageyama asks, squinting to try to see the statue better. “Is that the element that caused all the destruction?”

“Yes,” Yahaba breathes, staring out at the figure. It’s hard to see through its tornado, but it shines brightly amidst the chaos it brings around it.

“So what do we do?” Hinata is humming to himself, scratching his head. “I don’t see any way we could get in there to grab it…”

Watari claps a hand on Yahaba’s shoulder, startling him. “Yahaba can do it.”

“I… I can?”

Watari laughs, gesturing about themselves. “You’re a master at wind magic - I mean, just yesterday you couldn’t even create a spark without tearing open your hand!”

“Wait, what?” Kageyama mumbles, narrowing his eyes at Yahaba. Hinata is gaping at him incredulously, the confusion evident from the two of them.

No one responds to the question. “Watari, I,” Yahaba bites his bottom lip and shakes his head. “What if I can’t…?”

“You can and you will,” Watari replies, smiling softly. “I know you can.”

“Yeah, you got this, Yahaba,” Kindaichi suddenly jumps in, grinning at Yahaba. “You’ve always been good with wind!”

Iwaizumi shifts at his side, his voice quiet and nearly going unheard under the wind around them, “you can do this, Shigeru. Just think of Ken…”

Yahaba feels his mouth go dry at the thought. Kyoutani Kentarou, the love of his life that he dropped off a cliff. Who saved his life after tackling a miniature Hollow Body Phantom over that same cliff. Who he loved with all his being and never once got the chance to say this to.

The man who wouldn’t accept Yahaba hating himself, whether he was under the control of a device or not.

Sucking in as much as he can before letting it go slowly, Yahaba nods and licks his dry lips. “I can do this…”

“Yeah!” Watari and Kindaichi both shout, and Yahaba stands a little straighter.

“I can grab _Shen_ and stop this storm,” he continues on.

“Yeah!” They shout again.

“We can defeat the Hollow Body Phantom!”

“ _Yeah_!”

Yahaba doesn’t hesitate now, rushing out of his protective air bubble with shouts of encouragement from his two friends. As soon as he steps within the outer barrier of the cyclone, Yahaba forms a new air pocket, allowing himself to walk towards the edge of the small lake without being pushed over.

Once he reaches the bank of the lake, Yahaba takes a moment to check his surroundings. He ducks in time before a large branch can smack into him, and the lake isn’t as deep as the river that had been carved through the Everblack Woods. Making sure there isn’t any other large debris coming towards him, Yahaba steps out into the shallow lake and walks towards the center of the spiraling wind storm.

He’s about to pass through the final wall of the storm and reach out to _Shen_ when a blinding light flashes over him. Shielding his eyes, Yahaba flinches down to avoid anything until a hand comes over his shoulder. Turning and slowly opening his eyes, Yahaba finds Kageyama struggling to stand at his side, a ball of light magic in his hand.

Yahaba can only assume a Phantom had nearly grabbed him. Shifting his magic to cover Kageyama as well, the other stops struggling after the powerful wind and catches his breath, “Phantom… out of nowhere…”

Nodding, Yahaba smiles at him. “Thank you,” Kageyama only shakes his head and gestures to the statue of _Shen_. Yahaba doesn’t say anything else, turning back and reaching into the center of the storm to grab the shining object.

_Shen_ is shaking, even with the firm hold Yahaba has on it. It’s as if something within is running about, or that another cyclone is raging within the confines of the statue. Yahaba can’t stop the shaking, and he pulls it in without a second thought.

Clutching the statue to his chest, Yahaba looks around and sees that the wind storm continues on as though nothing has changed. Kageyama is also looking around, confusion on his face as it becomes apparent that nothing will stop the storm. Yahaba frantically turns to the figure in his hands and pats the top of it.

“ _Shen!_ It’s okay!” He yells, hopeful the element hears him. “I got you, _Shen_! I won’t let anything happen to you!”

Kageyama is watching him with concern, glancing back to the others and seeing that nothing outside of the storm has shifted. Yahaba looks up at him, panicking that something may be wrong.

And then, with a final twisting push, the cyclone dies and the wind slows to a simple breeze. Yahaba and Kageyama are staring at one another, the sudden loss of the wind rushing around them causing a ringing to rise in their ears. They’re both panting, as though they’d ran for hours non-stop at breakneck speed. Gulping, Yahaba turns his gaze to the statue in his hands and feels the restlessness die down.

His clothes feel heavy with rain, and his hair is falling flat against his forehead after having spent so long being whipped around in the wind. There isn’t a single part of Yahaba that doesn’t feel water logged and he hates the feeling. It doesn’t help that he’s standing up to his mid calves in water, his feet numb and possibly pruning within his boots.

But there’s a joy throbbing through his chest and Yahaba can’t help the smile that takes to his face as he stares down at the first element he’d ever seen. The element his teacher found, the element entrusted to him only to be lost for months.

He finally had _Shen_ back, and apparently, had gained the element’s trust.

There’s a beat of silence before he hear cheering, and Yahaba looks up to see his friends rushing into the shallow lake - now clearly more of a rather large puddle than anything else. Watari, Kindaichi, and Iwaizumi are rushing him, grabbing him in a hug that nearly knock the breath of out him. Kunimi is walking at a much slower pace, but he smiles all the same. Hinata had rushed to Kageyama’s side, jumping high at his side as he yells about how crazy and brave Kageyama is for having ran out into the storm to save Yahaba from the Phantom.

It’s euphoric, this moment of clear victory in their travels. It hadn’t even felt this amazing when they finally had _Lome_ in their possession, and at that time he had someone he could kiss.

Then again, when they had finally gotten to _Lome_ , Watari had been on his deathbed. Yahaba’s cheeks hurt from how much he smiles, looking over his friends and seeing that all of them are well. Briefly, he thinks about Azumane, but he knows from the way Nishinoya had been looking at him that the Beast was safe back in Karasuno’s obsidian castle.

His friends are excited, talking over one another and the joy is evident in the way they are speak. Yahaba’s racing heart is too loud to properly hear them, but it doesn’t matter. Glancing to Kageyama and Hinata, Yahaba sees the embarrassment on Kageyama’s face as Hinata continues to praise him. It’s a wonderful sight, something even he couldn’t be jealous of despite how badly he longed for the one he loved.

A shift beyond the two however has it all crashing down around him, and Yahaba can barely get the words out before the shadow lunges at Hinata, and it all happens far too quickly - and yet, his mind plays it out as slowly and painfully as possible.

Hinata is falling into the water, splashing the muddy liquid up high from the force of his fall. Yahaba is shoving past Watari, handing over _Shen_ and trying to rush over in time. And Kageyama, having used his entire body to shove Hinata out of the way, is unable to turn in time, unable to conjure the right spell. Barely making his second step towards them, Yahaba feels the world freeze as the black, oozing spear pierces its way through Kageyama’s chest.

The image before him is like the nightmares he doesn’t want to think about - the memory of a time he’d forced himself to forget. Kyoutani’s shocked face mirrors what Yahaba sees now on Kageyama’s, the Phantom’s weapon piercing through, clean and dark and deadly.

Yahaba’s mind goes blank as he continues forward, no one able to stop him as time returns to normal, and his hands grip the point of the spear without a second thought. There’s a light, white and searingly hot coming from his hands, and Yahaba pushes just like he had that day.

The Phantom’s spear is sent away, and just behind Kageyama, Yahaba can see the shadowed figure disperse into nothingness. For a moment, no one moves, and then Kageyama’s eyes become hazy and he falls, his body collapsing into the water.

Yahaba can’t move, doesn’t know what to do. He’s not even sure what he did, whether this means Kageyama will live. Kyoutani had, Yahaba had saved him - they had matching scars to prove that they lived. But one glance to his hands and Yahaba doesn’t see the black scars twisting their way further down his uncovered fingers, doesn’t feel the burn of the pain that had marked him forever the first time.

Hinata’s holding Kageyama at Yahaba’s feet, screaming and hitting him lightly on the cheek. Yahaba can’t hear anything, his hearing can only pick up that damned ringing again.

Falling to his knees, Yahaba stares at Kageyama’s unmoving form and watches, _prays_ that he’ll move. His skin is growing paler by the second however, and the familiar blackness is webbing it’s way up Kageyama’s neck, along his face as well as down his arms. It’s spreading fast, and Yahaba has no idea what is happening.

Gulping, it’s as if something pops in his ears and all he can hear now is Hinata’s frantic screaming. “ _No, no nononononono_ , you can’t do this!” Hinata is shouting, grabbing Kageyama’s shirt and shaking him. “You can’t die! You _promised_ …!”

Yahaba slowly lifts his gaze to look at Hinata, and he watches the small Beast pull something from within his tattered clothes. It’s a crystal of some kind, a blue light shining within, but from Hinata’s reaction, it’s slowly growing dimmer.

“ _No!_ It’s always supposed to stay bright!” Hinata sobs, shaking his head as he falls forward onto Kageyama’s chest. “You said…! You said it would stay bright so long as you were alive!”

It clicks then what Yahaba is looking at. “That’s… that’s Kageyama’s magic…”

Hinata only sobs harder. “You…! You _idiot_ , you said…! You said that m-magic can-n’t _die_ if the Wizard who ma-made it is alive! S-so why is it…?!”

Hinata’s body is wracked with sobs now, and Yahaba can only gape at him. Watari is suddenly there, grabbing Hinata and holding him close. There’s a haunted look in his eyes as he looks to Yahaba, one he’s certain is reflected back in his own.

How had they forgotten…?

“Kageyama can’t…!” Hinata sobs into Watari’s shoulder, the crystal in his hand getting darker and darker by the second.

Yahaba is shaking. Seijou is a Wizard Kingdom that bases a lot of worth on your magic, and to ever say the magic could die is almost as taboo as speaking about anyone using dark magic.

But it’s such a simple concept, and fact of life. How had they _forgotten_?

“I don’t understand,” Iwaizumi is saying, “why is he placing Kageyama’s life on the light of some rock?”

“Because that crystal holds a piece of Kageyama’s magic,” Kindaichi softly explains, Hinata’s sobs getting louder again. “If his magic fades, then…”

Yahaba slowly stands, turning to look back at Iwaizumi. He’s clearly confused, giving Kindaichi a strange look. “Then what?”

“Magic is… important to Seijou Wizards,” Kindaichi says instead, rubbing his neck, “a lot of us tend to not think about what happens after a Wizard dies…”

Iwaizumi narrowing his eyes. “Then _what_ , Kindaichi?”

Yahaba thinks he’s already figured it out, but is waiting for the confirmation.

Kindaichi is avoiding his eyes. “Iwaizumi… is your… does your necklace still glow?”

Iwaizumi is silent, his face relaxing into an unreadable expression.

“I… I only ask because… it’s Oikawa’s magic,” Kindaichi mumbles, shifting to rubbing at his sleeve where Yahaba knows his sealed promises have scarred the skin. “And if it’s still glowing, then…”

Yahaba feels the world tilt as Iwaizumi slowly meets his gaze, and the fire in his eyes is all it takes to steal Yahaba’s breath. “Say it,” Iwaizumi growls behind his teeth.

“Iwaizumi, I,” Yahaba shakes his head, “I had no idea…”

“Say. It.”

“Kin-Kindaichi isn’t lying, we don’t think about—”

“ _Say it, Yahaba_!” Iwaizumi shouts, and Hinata’s sobbing chokes off in surprise.

No one says anything. No one moves as they wait for Yahaba to reply.

He can barely breathe. “Oikawa… is alive…”

It’s long gone by now, but Yahaba can still hear the roll of thunder in the distance.

———

The scratchy feeling under his skin doesn’t go away even as he shifts, and for a moment the word _rativar_ rings through his mind. There’s a crashing of waves nearby on a shore though, so he knows he’s not in the desert.

No, the sand is wet under him, that wouldn’t make sense.

There’s a screaming pain throughout his body. He can’t remember what happened, not at first. He only does once someone lightly kicks at his side, and the press of the boot on the wound is enough to remind him of the fall.

“Rise and shine,” someone sings above him, and _damnit that’s a grating voice_ is all he can think before that same someone is clicking his tongue. “Gods you’re lazy, we need to get moving before the pirates show up!”

Groaning, he grabs his head and sits up, peeling his eyes open to the bright world around him. At first all he sees is the ocean and the beach he lays upon, but after letting his eyes adjust he can see an island in the distance. The splitting headache that shoots through him makes him want to close his eyes seconds later, though.

Scoffing, the person from before squats next to him and gets in his face, and Kyoutani can barely keep himself from gaping in surprise.

“Morning, KyouKen-chan,” Oikawa grins at him.


	33. Isle of Iron

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this time I went to library. But I only get about an hour on the computer and that’s not enough to write, so part of this was on my phone again. I also can’t access AO3 on the computer there, they have it blocked which is funny ‘cause tumblr isn’t. Anyway, not super duper happy with the chapter, it came out slightly different than planned, but it’s still doing what I needed it to.

The sand beneath him feels damp, and the waves continue to crash into the shore line rhythmically. A quick glance around shows him a cliff just behind him, as well as a streaming waterfall that, once he notices it, has its own rushing sound as the water hits the canal that flows out into the ocean before him.

Kyoutani can only assume he fell from that waterfall. He glances to his arms, the places that had touched the shadow monster that caused this mess, and notes that there is no trace of the thing like the scar on his chest. It flares up in response to him thinking about it, but Kyoutani doesn’t know what it means if the smaller one didn’t leave its mark. 

It’s something else to worry about though, at a later time. 

Turning back to the ghost - who is clearly not a ghost, but probably should be - Kyoutani scowls. “You dead.”

“I don’t feel dead,” Oikawa hums, standing straight as he crosses his arms, a pondering look on his face. It really is Oikawa, he can smell his brother.’a scent in the air and Iwaizumi is no where to be seen. “Actually, I’m pretty sure I never—”

“Burn,” Kyoutani cuts in, and Oikawa sends him a look. “Yahaba suffer - _Iwaizumi_ suffer. Why you live?”

Oikawa stares down at him, his expression void of any emotion as he blinks once. Twice. “Stop talking like that, I know you can speak like a normal person, KyouKen-chan.”

Growling, Kyoutani grips the sand and pushes himself up, stepping into Oikawa’s space to spit in his face, “you make Iwaizumi and Yahaba suffer! Why!?”

Oikawa winces at his words, though when he looks back and wipes his face, Kyoutani can tell he was wincing from being spat upon and not the words said. “Alright, I get it,” Oikawa mumbles, stepping back from Kyoutani and shaking his head. “You think what I did was wrong, but you need to understand that no one could know—”

“ _Iwaizumi loves you_!” Kyoutani shouts, pushing at Oikawa. He can smell it, the overpowering Claim Iwaizumi placed on this deceptive man. “ _My brother suffered a loss that wasn’t even real! How dare you make light of his feelings_!”

“Iwa-chan will understand,” Oikawa looks determined, but Kyoutani doubts his words. “He’s a strong and independent man, he can handle the truth when we meet again.”

Kyoutani shakes his head, trembling with rage. The only thing stopping him from lashing out at this point is Iwaizumi’s scent that overpowers his senses. “ _Komshae_ do not mourn the living, asshole.”

Oikawa’s eyes shift for a fraction of a second, but he remains firm. “He will handle it.”

“Will he?” Kyoutani counters, huffing when Oikawa remains silent. “What about Yahaba?”

“What about him?” Oikawa asks, avoiding Kyoutani’s eyes. “He was my student, my heir - he had no reason to suffer like Iwa-chan.”

Kyoutani shakes his head, recalling the night of Oikawa’s death and how Yahaba had clung to his unmoving form even in his sleep. Their travels north, the loss of magic, the Spring of Lome - everything that pointed to Yahaba’s own suffering when he had thought he lost Oikawa.

“He can’t use magic,” Kyoutani growls through his teeth. Oikawa gapes at him now, and Kyoutani feels satisfaction at this having an effect on the Wizard before him. “He felt guilty - he nearly lost his life to a _Zuex_ because of that guilt.”

Oikawa is silent, and Kyoutani wonders if Oikawa knows what _Zuex_ means in his language. Oikawa takes a step back, shaking his head. “Yahaba… he shouldn’t be guilty, he did nothing wrong! And… and a _Zuex_? Watery Grave…? Why would he—” Oikawa gasps, and turns his focus back onto Kyoutani. “ _Lome_...?”

Kyoutani nods. “Iwaizumi showed us _Shen_ , and your little book told us where to go.”

Oikawa appears confused now. “Wait, if you all knew about my book, why would Yahaba feel guilty?”

Kyoutani hesitates before grunting his confusion.

“Surely Yahaba or… or anyone in my kingdom would know that the book still holding my magic meant I was alive!”

Kyoutani doesn’t reply, still uncertain of what this means.

Oikawa waits for an answer though, and just as he’s about to ask again, he realizes his one mistake. Smacking his forehead, Oikawa shakes his head. “Seijou Wizards don’t talk about the death of a Wizard meaning the death of their magic…”

Kyoutani can’t say he fully understands, but from the sounds of things, Oikawa didn’t expect anyone to believe he really did die. Beneath Iwaizumi’s Claim, he can smell Oikawa’s true scent and the worry he exudes. 

“You didn’t do this alone, did you?” Kyoutani asks, but Oikawa only stares at him. “You had to have had someone help you pull this off - you had _everyone_ fooled.”

For a moment, he doesn’t waver, but soon Oikawa’s eyes flick down to the sand at their feet and the crashing waves nearly drown out his heavy sigh. “Mattsun and Makki…”

Kyoutani feels a new surge of anger. “ _Hanamaki knew_?!”

Oikawa nods once, “they suggested I go on the journey alone to get the Cardinal Elements, but the Magic Council was never going to stop coming after me, so Mattsun created the illusion of my death in the execution while I met with Makki who lead me through the Dark Forest to safety.”

Kyoutani shakes his head. “Matsukawa knew you went, why send us on the journey, too?”

Oikawa shrugs, “I’m sure he tried to think of a reason to stop you all from going, but Yahaba is a hard one to talk down from an idea.”

“And Iwaizumi?” Kyoutani asks, Oikawa flinching a little. “You just left him to believe he watched you burn…?”

Oikawa slowly turns his focus back on Kyoutani, horror on his features. “Wha… what?”

“Iwaizumi was forced to watch you burn while under control of the device,” Kyoutani furrows his brows and shakes his head, “only… he wasn’t under control, Matsukawa had made him look like that…”

Oikawa shakes a little, his face getting paler. “Iwa-chan… he had to watch…?”

“He couldn’t look away or else the spell would have broken,” Kyoutani mumbles, and Oikawa grips his hair in shock. “You didn’t know?”

Oikawa shakes his head and drops his hands with a shout of anger. “ _Why would they do that to my sweet Hajime_?!”

Kyoutani feels a flush of heat spread on his cheeks at the idea of his brother being called sweet, but he says nothing about it. Frowning, a thought occurs to him while he waits for Oikawa to stop yelling nonsense. “If you were going to get the elements yourself, why are you here?” Kyoutani glances around at the little beach again and the high cliffs and finds he’s not sure where “here” is. “Where are we…?”

Oikawa sighs and falls into the sand on his knees. “I got stuck…”

“Stuck?”

Oikawa points out to the distant island and Kyoutani squints to try to see it better. “I was heading north for _Lome_ but stuck too close to the edge of the cliff behind us. There was a trap set up that I couldn’t break from, and now I can’t get up from here.”

“Why…?” Kyoutani doesn’t understand. Oikawa is always regarded as a powerful Wizard, why would a small trap and a simple cliff stop him for so long?

Turning to give Kyoutani a look that says “seriously?”, Oikawa stands again and gestures for Kyoutani to follow. When he doesn’t move, Oikawa sighs. “Do you know what that island is?”

Kyoutani shakes his head, looking out into the ocean again to see something shining in the water. He tries to see what it could be, but whatever is floating towards them is too shiny to see correctly in the light of the sun.

Oikawa gestures to the cliff, “the cliff is filled with iron, just like that island - which is what that boat heading towards is made of.”

Kyoutani isn’t following, but he remembers what Oikawa said when he first woke up. “... pirates?”

Nodding, Oikawa gestures for Kyoutani to follow again. This time he does, and the two move back to the cliff. Kyoutani doesn’t know what good a cliff will do, but Oikawa leads him to the waterfall and motions for him to stand under the rushing water. When Kyoutani doesn’t, Oikawa scoffs and jumps through, and Kyoutani has to lean closer to really see through the water. Oikawa’s hand shoots out and grabs him, pulling him through without hesitation, and Kyoutani flails for the second the water bears down upon him until he’s on the other side standing next to Oikawa.

There’s a cave, and from what he can tell, Oikawa’s been living in this cave. The walls glint from the light of the flame within the damp cavern, though Kyoutani isn’t sure what sort of metal that is. The smell is familiar, but still foreign. 

“Iron,” Oikawa mumbles, stepping over the slick rocks to get to his things. “Everything here is iron, and those pirates are covered in it as well.”

“Iron…?” Kyoutani repeats, the word sounding familiar in some way.

Oikawa sighs, pausing in his digging through the bag he has. “Iron is a metal that cancels out magic - I can’t use magic here, but neither can they.”

Kyoutani furrows his brows, “no magic…?”

“No magic,” Oikawa nods and continues to dig into his bag. “But! Now you’re here, and I may have a chance to get up the cliff and back on track for collecting the elements.”

Kyoutani crosses his arms. “Why would I help you?”

Oikawa immediately turns to him and glares. “You want to get back to Yahaba, don’t you?” Kyoutani doesn’t move, but his brain screams at him to demand Oikawa take him back to the one he loves. “Then let me help you by you helping me,” Oikawa continues on as if Kyoutani’s silence had been answer enough.

“What can I do?” Kyoutani mutters, his jaw tight but the words coming out anyway. The idea of getting back to Yahaba clouds his thoughts, so Kyoutani has to shake his head to clear his mind when Oikawa isn’t looking (or, at least he tries to clear his mind).

It’s all he can remember before the fall - the memory is starting to flood his senses again. He had been hovering in the air, staring up into the desperate eyes of his only love and he could smell the stench of blood he’d hoped would never pour from Yahaba again. Kyoutani knew it was Yahaba’s magic keeping him safe, magic that he couldn’t use without bringing himself harm.

Kyoutani couldn’t bear to be the reason Yahaba rendered his arms useless, and he shouted for Yahaba to let him go. In the next moment, even after Yahaba had protested, Kyoutani’s sight blurred and his heart had lost itself within his throat as he plummeted to the ground.

Pain shoots up his back, along his legs and through his arms, but the only thing that registered and pooled through Kyoutani’s mind was the sense of loss - the idea of being left to die.

Shaking his head again, Kyoutani tries not to think about it that way. He’d _told_ Yahaba to drop him, he knew it would happen. Yahaba needed to go on, Kyoutani had no right to demand Yahaba pull him to safety when his love could barely keep him floating there.

And yet a small part of him wanted to weep at the idea that Yahaba may not want him enough to even try.

Kyoutani shivers, another part of his being screaming about how he doesn’t care - he shouldn’t care - he won’t continue to care any longer. Yahaba was a Wizard, a vile being bent on destroying his people. He was meant to kill the man, not kiss him - not… Gods, Kyoutani wanted to Claim that Wizard…

_Wants_ to Claim Yahaba, and damnit he _fucking will Claim Yahaba the second he sees him again_. And the only way to get back to Yahaba is by helping his prick of a teacher.

“Did you hear a word I said?” Oikawa’s voice comes back to him. Taking a deep breath, Kyoutani refocuses on Oikawa who’s standing before him looking annoyed. Scoffing, Oikawa throws his hands in the air. “Oh, so _now_ you’re listening!”

“What do I need to do?” Kyoutani repeats, which makes Oikawa groan. “I need to get back to Yahaba.”

“Really now?” Oikawa asks, clicking his tongue and looking as though he doesn’t believe a word Kyoutani says. “From what I just witnessed, you were so lost in your own mind I doubt you actually know what you need.”

Kyoutani has no idea what he means. “I need Yahaba.”

“Do you?” Oikawa cocks a brow, “or is that just want the device tells you?”

Kyoutani feels a shock - tiny, miniscule shock rocketing from the device in question - and shivers. It’s just like when Iwaizumi had confronted him, and similar to when Yahaba first started breaking the device open. “I know what I want,” he growls, but Oikawa doesn’t look convinced. “Fuck you, I want to get back to him!”

Oikawa sighs and reaches for him, “Iwa-chan tried to tell you, didn’t he?”

“Iwaizumi cruel!” Kyoutani shouts, smacking away Oikawa’s hand before he can touch him - possibly in a form of comfort, but Kyoutani could never be sure. “Yahaba _mine_ , I want him!”

Oikawa goes stiff and stares towards the waterfall. “Keep your voice down,” he hisses softly, “the pirates—”

“ _I’m not under anyone’s control_!” Kyoutani screams anyway, and the sound echoes off the iron in the walls. Oikawa gapes at him before his focus turns to the entrance of his cave.

“Shit,” he mutters, and Kyoutani turns to see what he’s staring at.

A man stands in the entrance, what little light that comes from Oikawa’s fire shining off the iron and illuminating him. He’s tall, with light brown hair and a devilish smirk on his face.

The clothes he wears glint in the light as well, and Kyoutani finally understands what Oikawa meant by these pirates being clothed in the metal.

“Thought there was something here,” the man says, stepping closer, his metal boots loud against the rocks. Other men in suits of iron come through the waterfall, and Kyoutani takes a step back towards Oikawa. They’re holding swords that look sturdier than any stone Kyoutani’s ever held. “And look at what we find - a Wizard King and some runt Beast.”

Kyoutani snarls at him - he’s _clearly_ not a runt, what the hell? - and Oikawa shifts behind him. They don’t move for a moment, watching this armored man come closer to him with each clanking step.

“Tell me, oh great King Oikawa,” he continues on, “what brings you to my lands?”

Oikawa huffs, “who the hell died and made you the captain, Futakuchi?”

The pirate stops, the arrogant look on his face shifting to one of hatred. “Moniwa isn’t _dead_ \- he’s just…”

“Incapacitated?” Oikawa suggests, and Kyoutani has to stop himself from looking between the two of them in confusion. “Good to know the pirate clan leader is still alive at least. Did he like his gift, or are you ignoring that peace offering in his place?”

Futakuchi’s glare only hardens. “The captain should never have accepted that Beast - you Wizards clearly think of them as slaves.”

Oikawa shrugs, “Seven was a tough one. Tell me, did your little island clear his mind of the controlling magic that we placed on him? Is he truly free from the Magic Council to be his own person?”

Futakuchi doesn’t answer, but Kyoutani suddenly has questions of his own. Iron would clear his mind? Does that mean he’ll forget the Wizard language? But then, how would he talk to Yahaba?

_Would he be able to prove to Iwaizumi that his feelings were real if his mind cleared_?

Some other questions flare up in the back of his mind, but Kyoutani doesn’t know how to ask them or if he really wants to know. One in particular: who is the _Komshae_ they’re talking about?

Oikawa tries a different approach. “It was a mistake, we didn’t mean to come close to your territory, Futakuchi. Let us leave and we’ll be back in our own lands before nightfall.”

Futakuchi scoffs and holds the sword out, the point close to Kyoutani’s nose. “Not gonna happen - you two are going to come quietly for trespassing.”

“But we—”

“All part of our treaty, Oikawa,” Futakuchi cuts in, his voice scathingly dark, “no Wizard or their little Beasts should come near the Isle of Iron, or they’ll be at the mercy of my people.”

Oikawa doesn’t try to argue now, and Kyoutani finally looks back to see the tight expression on his face. But within his eyes, so telling like Yahaba’s, Kyoutani can see the panic.

The point of the blade digs into his shoulder and Kyoutani turns to glare at this pirate captain. “Let’s get moving, or we’ll take you by force.”

“Kyoutani isn’t my Beast,” Oikawa starts to say, earning Futakuchi’s attention. “He’s innocent, let him go.”

Futakuchi hums consideringly for a moment before he click his tongue. “I doubt that - that stupid device is in his neck. He belongs to someone, doesn’t he?”

Kyoutani almost answers “Yahaba” but holds back. He knows it won’t do any good to actually reply, and a second part of him is snarling that he doesn’t belong to anyone, especially a Wizard.

Without any other argument, Oikawa finally begins to step towards Futakuchi and gestures for Kyoutani to follow. Weary of the iron sword, Kyoutani does as Oikawa suggests and quietly they leave the cave with the pirates directing them.

Back on the beach, Kyoutani nearly freezes at the sight of the giant iron boat, as well as the mass of iron clad pirates surrounding them. He stands a little straighter and follows Oikawa quietly, heading toward the boat Futakuchi pushes him to.

The group leads them to smaller boats to ride out to where the ship is, and Kyoutani wonders briefly how something so large could float so perfectly. He knew nothing about boats, and he’s only ever seen the ocean from the edge of the forest.

Before they can climb on board, another pirate stops them and latches some iron restraints on their wrists. Kyoutani turns his glare on Oikawa now, who doesn’t meet his eye. No one says anything as the two are pushed up onto the ship and shoved against a mast, iron chains coming around them and holding them in place.

It feels like an hour passes before the pirates finally all return to the ship and they take off to the distant island. None of the iron clad men look at Kyoutani and Oikawa, though Kyoutani can’t say he’s sad about it. He focuses on watching Futakuchi, who directs his people on what to do and where to put things that some of them bring back. Futakuchi only stops his movements for a moment, when his eyes lock onto Kyoutani’s, and they stare at one another.

Kyoutani narrows his eyes in what he hopes is a threatening way, and the responding sneer he receives tells him Futakuchi doesn’t appreciate it. Good; Kyoutani doesn’t appreciate being chained to a pole.

The ship rocks and their staring ends, returning Futakuchi to directing his men and Kyoutani to steady his stance.

He’s not sure how long they spend on the ship, but with the cliffs disappearing the further out they go, the more anxious Kyoutani becomes. How is he supposed to make it back to Yahaba now?

It doesn’t really matter though, and he knows it, too. Yahaba is a Wizard who held him captive with this layer of magic that still stiffles his true thoughts.

Except that’s not true - Kyoutani knows Yahaba did all he could to free him. Kyoutani knows Yahaba cares, perhaps even loves him. And Kyoutani _does_ love him in return - Iwaizumi and Oikawa are wrong.

He feels his temple throb as the thoughts mingle together, muddling his clear perception and screaming at him that something isn’t right about any of this. Kyoutani’s skin feels on fire, the sensation tingling beneath the iron chains and it’s all he can do to keep from struggling in an attempt to scratch at his burning flesh.

Only, he’s not on fire. It’s the iron’s effect on him, and Kyoutani hates the reminder.

The island finally comes into view just before Kyoutani nearly breaks and tries to struggle against his bonds. With a glance to Oikawa, Kyoutani can tell the other man is uncomfortable with the iron surrounding them and he can’t help but wonder how these pirates aren’t affected by it.

Perhaps they aren’t like Oikawa, though Kyoutani could have sworn only Wizards and Beasts roamed these lands.

Focusing on their destination, Kyoutani suddenly feels the horrible sense of dread fill his stomach. The island, for all of its forestry and sloping, grassy hills, is practically made of iron. Kyoutani sniffs only once is immediately hit with the same scent that comes from the metal of the ship, the armor, of Futakuchi’s sword. It looks like rock, which only makes Kyoutani wonder how they’d made it so smooth and shiny.

The ship glides up to an iron bridge, and Kyoutani wonders how long they’ll wait until they’re taken off the ship. Looking around, he sees there are other ships along the cliffside of the island, all with their own bridges of iron leading down to them for pirates to board smoothly.

The chains are loosened and Kyoutani turns to find one of the pirates latching a new chain to their wrist restraints and pulling them along. Kyoutani almost doesn’t budge, hopeful that this pirate with stupidly styled hair (he reminds him of a bird somehow, though Kyoutani can’t place why) will grow weary of Kyoutani and he can make a break for it.

He’s never really swam in the ocean before, but Kyoutani is certain he could make it. Yahaba needed him after all.

Except he doesn’t need Ya—

Growling to himself, Kyoutani is too preoccupied with his warring thoughts to even continue thinking about scaring the weird looking pirate. Oikawa does send him a look though, and it’s enough to keep him from getting any noisier about the fading magical hold placed on his mind.

They follow the pirate off of the ship and up onto the land, and Kyoutani takes another whiff of the air to see if it really is all just iron. It takes a second deep breath for him to register the foliage beyond the iron scent and Kyoutani feels only slightly better about the familiar smell.

It’s a long walk, but eventually they reach what Kyoutani assumes is the center of the island, or as close to it as they can be, because they come upon a fortress make out of solid iron. Kyoutani is starting to grow tired of the iron on this island.

The man yanks on the chain and leads them to a smaller gate than the one that Kyoutani had assumed they would be entering through. It takes the guy a second, but he eventually gets the gate open and pushes it wide enough for the three to enter. Kyoutani eyes it suspiciously, wondering just how heavy it must be - it was only slightly taller than this guy, who Kyoutani does have to admit is pretty tall even next to Oikawa.

Entering through the doorway at the insistent pull, Kyoutani finds them walking down steps that only get darker the further down they go. He doesn’t like not being able to properly see, but his eyes adjust fairly quickly, something he learned from Yahaba doesn’t happen so naturally for other Humans.

There’s a blinding light at the end of the stairs and the pirate pulls the chain at the last step to send Kyoutani and Oikawa tumbling down the - surprise surprise - iron floors. Groaning, Kyoutani pushes himself up to hear the guy chuckling and turns his eternal glare onto him. Kyoutani nearly bites his hand off when he sees it come close to him, but stops himself when the restraints are removed. Kyoutani watches him remove Oikawa’s as well before meeting Kyoutani’s glare. The pirate is still not phased and simply grins again, hurrying up the stairs without a word. 

Oikawa sighs as he sits up, rubbing at his wrists. “That could have gone better…”

“Where are we?” Kyoutani mumbles, standing from the cold floor to look around. The door at the top of the stairs clangs to a close, as well as an echoing click a moment later. “Did he just lock us in?”

“Must be the dungeon,” Oikawa muses, pushing himself to stand as well and gesturing to where the light comes from. “Bars on the windows - this is a cell.”

Kyoutani hurries over to the windows and jumps up to look through the bars, squinting at the light for a moment until he sees the world beyond. Groaning, Kyoutani smacks his head against the bars and sighs. “It’s the side of a cliff…”

“Sharp rocks at the bottom, I bet,” Oikawa says, coming to stand under the window next to Kyoutani. “We’re going to be here a while, KyouKen-chan.”

Snarling, Kyoutani drops back to the floor and focuses on Oikawa. “Stop calling me that!”

Oikawa hums, looking out the window as much as he can without jumping up to it. “Considering I married him and Iwa-chan claimed me, that means we’re brothers, too. Right, Kentarou?”

Kyoutani blanches, gaping at the Wizard before growing angry again. “Don’t call me that either.”

“It’s your name,” Oikawa replies, turning back to Kyoutani now, eyes narrowed. “Iwa-chan told me everything about you, his sweet little brother…”

Kyoutani chooses to remain silent, his glare heavy and jaw twitching with the rage boiling in his belly. 

“How you were the fiercest warrior in your tribe,” Oikawa continues on, crossing his arms as he fully faces Kyoutani. “That any Wizard who stumbled upon you would end up dead by the end of the meeting.” He pauses, waiting for Kyoutani to say anything. “That your tribe fears you and dubbed you the Wizard Killer…”

Kyoutani’s jaw tightens. He still doesn’t say anything, knowing Oikawa is trying to get a rise out of him. 

Oikawa’s eyes flick down to Kyoutani’s shoulder and back to hold his gaze. “He even told me what the word _desava_ means…”

Shouting, Kyoutani lashes out and grabs the first part of Oikawa he can reach, turning and shoving as roughly as possible. Oikawa’s grunt of pain returns his focus to what he’d grabbed, and the sight of his tightening hand around Oikawa’s neck greets him. Oikawa is grabbing his wrist and hand, trying to pull it away, but his claws are starting to dig into Oikawa’s neck and there’s a different scent filling the air. 

Strange how similar blood smells to the metal this island is covered in. Might explain why the iron smelled familiar before. 

Taking a deep breath, Kyoutani focuses on Oikawa’s wince of pain. “Don’t fuck with me,” he snarls under his breath, and Oikawa continues to struggle in his hold. 

He’s gasping around the hand on his neck, so Kyoutani loosens his hold just enough to hear what he has to say. “ _L-let me… g-go…_ ,” Oikawa manages, tears beginning to pool at the edges of his eyes. He coughs a little and Kyoutani loosens the hold a little more. “ _What would… Ya-Yahaba thin-ink…_?” Kyoutani narrows his eyes and bares his fangs. 

He doesn’t care what Yahaba might think, Kyoutani wants to murder this stupid Wizard. 

“ _I thought… yo-ou… loved… him…_?”

Kyoutani’s hand goes slack and he drops his hold, Oikawa falling to the floor, coughing and gasping for air. He’s grabbing at his neck, rubbing at the pain and smearing his blood a little. Kyoutani steps back, panting heavily as his sight blurs. 

Yahaba cares about this man, he can’t kill him. 

But Yahaba already thinks he’s dead. 

Yahaba probably thinks Kyoutani is dead. 

Kyoutani doesn’t care what Yahaba thinks.

But he does. 

It hurts, the conflicting thoughts going back and forth and his heart begins to race in a panic. Kyoutani doesn’t love a Wizard, could never love a Wizard. He’s clutching his head and falling to his knees. Kyoutani loves Yahaba more than anything. His throat burns. Yahaba is a Wizard, and Kyoutani must kill all the Wizards. There’s another source of iron scenting the air. Kyoutani can’t kill Yahaba though, not the one he loves. 

But he doesn’t love Yahaba. 

He’s not sure how long it takes, but it’s that final thought that causes Kyoutani to go limp, and he collapses to the ground. Kyoutani’s whole body feels numb, and for a sweet, beautiful moment, his mind is blank. 

Yahaba… the name feels foreign, but Kyoutani’s mind conjures up the image of something beautiful. 

He’s reaching for that image, trying to pull it closer and see the clear picture, but try as he might, the world goes dark and there is nothing. 

Kyoutani wakes up to something kicking him and it all feels too familiar for him to be happy about it. The smell of his brother is above him, but something tells him it’s not Iwaizumi. Groaning, he grabs hold of his throbbing head and opens his eyes to find Oikawa standing over him. 

“You awake in there?” Oikawa asks with a deadpan expression, and Kyoutani is tempted to answer no. “Has the iron finally cleared your mind of the magic?”

Kyoutani stares up at him and doesn’t move. 

Oikawa scoffs and pulls away to walk somewhere else within the cell. “Oh great, it cleared the translation spell too… Gods, I don’t know your language that well, how is this going to work?”

Sitting up, Kyoutani looks around. There’s something sticky under his hand around his hairline, but glance to the floor he’d been laying on tells him that it was just his blood. It explains the scent of iron he’d noticed before, but Kyoutani doesn’t have time to think about it. 

He’s not sure how long he was out for, but it couldn’t have been for very long. Kyoutani faces Oikawa, who’s muttering to himself about what they could do to get out of there. Kyoutani waits for him to notice, but it takes a while before Oikawa sighs and focuses his gaze on Kyoutani. 

“This would be easier if you weren’t back to normal,” Oikawa says and Kyoutani blinks slowly, completely unamused. “We need to get out of here and find Iwa-chan and the others,” Oikawa continues despite thinking Kyoutani doesn’t understand, “we need to help them defeat the Hollow Body Phantom.”

Standing, Kyoutani moves to stand over Oikawa. He stares up at Kyoutani, expression betraying nothing of his thoughts though Kyoutani can see the hesitation within his eyes. His neck is bruised where Kyoutani had held him and he can see the puncture wounds where his claws had dug in. Iwaizumi’s scent feels as though it’s judging him, telling him off for hurting Oikawa. He tries to ignore it, but he knows he can’t. 

“What do you propose we do then?” Kyoutani asks, making Oikawa gawk at him. 

“You can understand me?!”

“Unfortunately,” Kyoutani scoffs, watching Oikawa scramble to his feet in anger. “Guess that magic you were talking about hasn’t been cleared by the iron.”

Oikawa is looking him over, narrowing his eyes. “Oh really…? What do you feel for Yahaba now?”

Kyoutani doesn’t answer, isn’t sure he wants to as his stomach twists from the name. “What do you propose we do?”

Oikawa huffs and nods to the stairs. “Either we try to force our way out through the door,” then he points to the windows, “or we find a way to break the bars and climb out down the cliff.”

Kyoutani looks between their two options and shakes his head. “It won’t work.”

“Then what do _you_ suggest?” 

He’s not sure, but he doesn’t want to admit that. Kyoutani turns to survey the room, trying to think of an answer that’s actually good. 

“KyouKen-chan,” Oikawa starts, and the stupid nickname makes Kyoutani cringe. 

But he doesn’t lash out, not again - as much as he hates it, Iwaizumi’s scent is oozing from Oikawa like a protective layer and he can’t bring himself to hurt someone who’s meant to be family a second time. 

“I know you don’t want to talk to me about this,” Oikawa starts again, and Kyoutani doesn’t move, listening to him intently. “But you can’t avoid it; something happened when I asked you about Yahaba and what he would think before…”

Kyoutani’s hands curl into fists and he fights the urge to do anything violent. “What about it?”

Oikawa shifts behind him, but Kyoutani still doesn’t turn to face him. “Do you love him or not? The device isn’t controlling you - at least, I think it’s not - and you can finally figure out the truth.”

Rounding on him, Kyoutani snarls and Oikawa flinches. “Yahaba doesn’t matter right now, we need to get out of here!”

Oikawa’s about to answer when the click of the door echos down to them. They both stare at one another before slowly turning to the stairs, listening to the heavy footsteps of whoever is coming to visit. 

It takes a moment, but the scent of the new arrival is too familiar for Kyoutani to ignore and he gapes at the man who enters the room. Oikawa is also visibly surprised, gasping a little. 

“You’re the seventh Beast the Magic Council captured,” Oikawa murmurs, and Kyoutani suddenly feels he understands. 

“Aone…?” He calls, and Oikawa turns to stare at him. At the stairs, Aone stands before them, his old armor Kyoutani remembers replaced with Iron. His face is passive, eyes as clear as the last time he saw him. “This is where you’ve been…?”

Aone nods, glancing to Oikawa before focusing on Kyoutani. “ _Dloen har,_ Kyoutani?”

Kyoutani nods back. “I’m fine,” he steps closer to Aone and the uncertainty in his stomach starts to bubble. “Are you…?”

He only receives a grunt in response, and Kyoutani suddenly is overwhelmed with so many questions. “Iwaizumi?”

“He’s fine,” Kyoutani answers, “at least he was when I last saw him.” It takes a moment but Kyoutani slowly realizes what Aone actually meant. “Oh… this is Oikawa, Iwaizumi’s _vashuco_.”

Aone turns to Oikawa and nods to him, and Kyoutani watches Oikawa slowly bob his head in return, face pale. Kyoutani smirks at his unease - he knows it must be because Aone is rather intimidating. Oikawa doesn’t need to know Aone was one of the most gentle members of his tribe if it means Kyoutani gets to see him squirm. 

Kyoutani gestures to the stairs now, and Aone focuses back on him. “Why are you here? Did that asshole pirate captain let you come here?”

Aone only stares down at him before returning to the stairs and they watch him begin to leave. For a moment, neither Kyoutani or Oikawa move, but Aone returns to look at them, his expression unchanged. Understanding what wasn’t being said, Kyoutani begins to follow and Oikawa slowly does the same. 

Aone leads them out of the dungeons and back to the entrance of the fortress, but they do not enter. Instead, Futakuchi is waiting for them with an older man who’s dark hair is slicked back, as well as a sickly looking man closer in age to them and curly hair. He’s smiling despite his gaunt appearance, but the older man looks ready to start yelling.

There’s laughter nearby and Kyoutani looks around to find two other pirates atop the wall, along with the young pirate who took them down to the dungeon, all of them watching. The blond is the one who’s laughing, the one from before is still smiling, and the third looks as though he’s dealt with this a thousand different times. A girl appears beside them, looking down at the scene with interest. 

“Thank you, Aone, for bringing them to us,” the older man says, his tone clipped as soon as they reach the three who are waiting. “You said they smelled like members of your tribe back on the mainland, didn’t you?”

Aone nods, and the man returns the nod. The sickly looking one give a small laugh before coughing a bit. “I’m sure Futakuchi was doing what he thought was right, Elder Oiwake!”

The man, Oiwake apparently, turns to him and scowls. “You’re too kind to the boy, Moniwa - he’s never going to be a good captain if you keep giving him passes like this.”

Moniwa chuckles again, though now he looks a bit embarrassed. Beside him, Futakuchi hunches his shoulders and glares at the ground. Oiwake smacks Futakuchi’s shoulder then, the metal clunking together at the impact. Futakuchi sighs and turns his glare on Kyoutani and Oikawa. “I apologize, I hadn’t realized that you were relatives of our Aone…”

The apology sounds forced, and Futakuchi looks uncomfortable saying it at all. Oikawa snickers, causing Futakuchi’s glare to intensify as he focuses on him now. “Oh it’s not trouble at all - I myself didn’t know about Aone, and KyouKen-chan had no idea this was where Aone had gone!”

Kyoutani scowls at the nickname but he nods either way. “Aone is safe here, isn’t he?”

Moniwa and Oiwake both look surprised at the question, but they nod anyway. “Of course,” Moniwa says, his voice scratchy as another cough overcomes him. “He’s a member of our clan now, I cannot turn him away at this point.”

Oikawa steps forward, “Captain Moniwa, you don’t look to be doing well. You should be resting!”

Moniwa sighs and shakes his head. “I cannot teach my successor how to be captain of this island if I spend my days sleeping, King Oikawa…”

Oikawa smiles, “I understand what you mean; my own heir is out there on a quest and we need to return to his side as soon as possible.”

Elder Oiwake grunts his agreement. “Of course, we won’t keep you locked up. Relatives of our crew are always free to leave the Isle of Iron.”

“Thank you so much, Elder Oiwake,” Oikawa replies, bowing a little. “Sorry to have caused trouble; without my magic, I can be a little useless…”

“That’s the problem with you Wizards on the mainlands,” Futakuchi mutters, everyone turning to him with interest. “You depend too much on magic…”

Oikawa smirks, “and you island Wizards chose to suppress yours - doesn’t it hurt, Futakuchi? To never be able to use magic with all that iron?”

“It’s not so bad,” Moniwa replies instead, his smile small and eyes challenging. “Just means we have to work a little harder for what we want is all.”

Kyoutani and Aone glance to one another, the tension obvious coming from the Wizards. “ _Glasblon_ , yeah?” Kyoutani says to Aone, and Aone huffs what Kyoutani has come to know as his soft laugh. He turns back to the Wizards, Oikawa’s eyes narrowed on him now. “What?”

“I may not know your language well, but I know when I’m being insulted, KyouKen-chan,” Oikawa says, and Kyoutani smirks in return. 

Oiwake clears his throat and earns their attention again. “Well, you said you needed to get back to your heir and his quest. Aone and Futakuchi will take you back to the docks and provide you passage back to the mainlands so that you may be on your way.”

Smiling, Oikawa bows a little again. “Thank you, Elder. Sorry again for the trouble.”

“No trouble at all,” Oiwake gestures for Moniwa to follow him and waves them off. “Safe travels to you, Aone’s relatives. Moniwa needs to return to bed rest now - _Kamasaki, would you quit laughing up there_?!” The man atop the wall chokes on his laughter when Oiwake shouts at him, suddenly disappearing from view. 

Moniwa waves to them as well, but not before another coughing fit hits him. Oiwake helps walk him to the gate, but they don’t wait to see the two enter. Futakuchi scoffs and begins to stomp away, Aone following after and stopping only once to look back st Kyoutani and Oikawa. 

The walk back to the docks is in silence, though Kyoutani can hear Futakuchi complaining under his breath. He hears the water crashing against the island before the scent of salt water reaches him, but it’s the sight of the ocean and the distant mainland that makes Kyoutani’s heart race in anticipation. 

“There’s a hidden stairwell on the side of the cliff,” Futakuchi explains, pointing to the mainlands. “Once you’re back on the top of the cliff, you shouldn’t have any issue with your magic not working.”

Oikawa clicks his tongue, “sure, thanks for the tip… say, do you ever wonder why your ancestors despised magic so much that they carved this piece of land from the rest of the world and made it into an island?”

Futakuchi slowly turns his glare on Oikawa. “No, because unlike you, I don’t need magic to survive.”

Shrugging, Oikawa’s grin gets a little bigger. “I suppose that’s true; look at you, covered in armor and wielding a big old sword… it’s like you’re expecting to be attacked any second!”

Kyoutani sighs when Futakuchi looks ready to jump into a shouting match, but Aone cuts him off with a hand on his shoulder. Sighing, Futakuchi gestures to a smaller boat. “Let’s get this over with already…”

No one argues this and they all follow him down the dock to the boat. It takes a moment, but soon Futakuchi has the anchor raised and the sails open to begin the return trip to the mainlands. 

Kyoutani frowns to himself as he looks out over the ocean and to their destination, glancing to Oikawa when he joins him. “How long was I out for?”

“Not long,” Oikawa answers, “maybe an hour or two. You were mumbling Yahaba’s name the whole time, but it’s when you stopped and started groaning in pain I realized you were waking up.”

“Why did you try to wake me sooner?” Kyoutani asks, rubbing at where he still feels some dried sticky blood under his hair. 

Oikawa shrugs, “you were making noise the whole time, so I figured if you stopped talking altogether then something might be wrong.”

Kyoutani scoffs and rests his chin in the railing. “ _Glasblon_...”

“That means strange, doesn’t it?” Oikawa hums, Kyoutani turning to him with a raised brow. “Iwa-chan called me that a lot after I freed him…”

“Yeah,” Kyoutani murmurs, looking back at the land in the distance. “It means strange person or people, depending on the context…”

“Is it harsh like _convejet_? I called Iwa-chan that once after reading it in a book and he was so offended…”

Kyoutani tries to hold back his laugh. “No, _convejet_ is worse…” He hesitates, but Kyoutani doesn’t see a reason to not speak his mind. “Yahaba called me that, too…”

Oikawa makes a contemplative noise, but he doesn’t say anything else. Kyoutani frowns, wondering if perhaps the scent of Iwaizumi coming from the Wizard at his side really is the only reason he hasn’t tried to finish him off. 

“You _do_ love him, don’t you?” Oikawa whispers, and Kyoutani freezes.

This boat isn’t like the last one. There’s not as much iron around them now. He still smells it in his blood though, and under his nails where Oikawa’s blood just linger. His mind is a mess at the question, but it’s a quiet mess that he can’t make out very well. 

“Is there iron in blood?” He asks, and Oikawa immediately turns to him in surprise and confusion. “I smell it in blood, the metal is similar. Not the same, but…”

Oikawa looks thoughtful, considering the question. “I’m not sure… if there is iron in our blood, then it must not be as much as the metal itself, right? Otherwise, Wizards wouldn’t be able to use magic.”

Kyoutani nods a little. “I guess so…”

“You didn’t answer my question,” Oikawa says, but Kyoutani avoids his eyes. “Kyoutani—“

“I don’t know,” he finally mumbles, and Oikawa goes silent. “I… I’m confused…”

Oikawa doesn’t say anything for a while, but eventually he heaves a sigh and pats Kyoutani’s shoulder. “I don’t know if the magic that blocked you from making your own choices is permanently gone, especially with the device still in your neck… but I hope you can figure it out.”

Kyoutani nods a little, the little beach getting easier to see the close they get. In the distance, down the left side of the beach, Kyoutani sees the trees that mark his home, and beyond that, a dark cloud hangs in the sky. It’s too far to see properly, but his chest burns at the sight. 

“KyouKen-chan,” Oikawa starts to say, and Kyoutani tears his eyes away from the black cloud to look at him. Oikawa’s staring at the bandage around his arm, and immediately Kyoutani straightens to look at it. “What does it mean if it’s getting bigger…?”

Red lines are poking out from under the bandage, and Kyoutani wishes he had more to be able to cover it up again. He doesn’t need this reminder, not right now. 

Aone comes up to them then, and Kyoutani gives him a questioning look before a roll of white bandages is held out to him. Kyoutani stares at it, turning his gaze to Aone’s face and nodding, holding out his hand to take it. Aone passes it over then turns to go back to Futakuchi at the helm. 

Kyoutani looks between his arm and the new roll before Oikawa reaches over and starts undoing the wrappings on his bicep. Kyoutani avoids his eyes and turns to give him better access, not wanting to see what lies beneath. 

With the old bandages gone, Oikawa holds out his hand for the new set and begins to wrap that around Kyoutani’s arm, careful to cover what Kyoutani doesn’t want to look at. 

It takes a moment, but once he finishes, he pats Kyoutani’s arm and steps back. “It was beautiful.”

Kyoutani shakes his head. “It was a mistake…”

“I don’t—“

“Drop it,” Kyoutani scowls, leaning into the railing and resting his chin on his forearms. “It’s nothing now, so drop it.”

Oikawa goes silent, and Kyoutani is grateful when he hears him begin to walk away. 

They reach the mainland minutes later, the sun hanging low in the sky just above the cliff. Leaving the ship, Kyoutani and Oikawa turn back to look up at Aone who is waving at them. Kyoutani waves back, calling out that he will let the tribe know Aone is safe and in good hands. Aone simply nods, returning to the boat’s center as Futakuchi gets them ready to leave. 

Oikawa begins to head for the waterfall and Kyoutani isn’t sure if he should follow yet. “You look for the stairs, I’m going to get my things!” Oikawa calls to him, Kyoutani frowning to himself. 

With nothing else to do, Kyoutani heads to the left side of the beach and focuses on the top of the cliff where branches of trees peek over the edge and look down at him. He misses that forest, his tribe, his home. Kyoutani stops moving, eyes on the forest he can barely see and wonders what could possibly be so wrong in going back to them now. 

_Yahaba_...

The beautiful image his mind conjured before is there again, but much clearer this time. He focuses on the memory of a smile, the soft pink hue that dusts cheeks. Eyes are a light with happiness that Kyoutani can only hope he is the cause of, and a laugh so melodic is barely catching his ears, so long ago but still so sweet. This face has changed since they left the Dark Forest, the soft brown hair shining more and more with silver hues as each day passes. There are scars now, he’s kissed them a thousand times with an apology behind each one for not keeping this beautiful image safe. 

It’s the image of someone he loves, or at least he hopes he loves. The very thought of the image is enough to make his stomach roll with uncertainty and hope all at once, a desire to protect. 

It’s Yahaba he thinks of. Yahaba is the reason to continue forward with Oikawa, to return to the mission at hand and save the world from the dark cloud that surely will bring death to thousands. 

Yahaba needs him, and Kyoutani can only hope that it’s his own desires telling him he wants to be needed. 

Oikawa’s suddenly at his side, giving him a funny look. “We need to get moving, KyouKen-chan, what are you looking at?”

“I love him,” Kyoutani answers, returning his focus to the cliff and seeing the hidden change in shape in the edges. “There’s the stairs, let's get out of here.”

Oikawa hesitates, but he eventually nods and starts towards the stairs. Kyoutani follows after, and the climb the hidden staircase in silence. Once they reach the top, the sun has begun to set beyond the tree line of his tribe’s home, and that dark cloud is looming in the distance. 

“We need to hurry,” Oikawa says under his breath as he looks to the cloud. “Hollow Body Storm isn’t going to wait for us.”

Kyoutani goes to respond when a gust of wind wraps around him, and he gasps at the feeling. Oikawa raises a brow when Kyoutani reaches out as though he is going to pet an animal, the wind reshaping itself into a glowing white wolf. “ _Refrothe_ ,” he mumbles. 

Oikawa gapes at him. “Whisper wolf…?”

Hanamaki’s voice fills the air around them, a whisper carried on the wind. “ _Meet in Fukurodani_ ,” the whisper says quietly, then a little louder, “ _meet in_ Pandem…”

Kyoutani listens to the other whispers carried with the wolf, but the wind disperses and carries the rest of them away. He turns to Oikawa who still has an awed expression on his face. “Think that message was for you; Hanamaki said to meet in Fukurodani.”

Oikawa nods slowly. “But it came to you, didn’t it?”

Kyoutani shrugs, “Hanamaki has no reason to think I’m in the Dark Forest. That whisper was quiet - it’d been waiting for a while.”

“But the second one was louder,” Oikawa comments, “what’s _Pandem_?”

Kyoutani glances to the dark cloud before he answers. “Red Leaves…”


	34. Soul Whistle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Had an easier time writing this one because my sister let me borrow her Bluetooth keyboard. Still difficult to do all this on a phone, but it’s better than forcing my thumbs to work in a huddled mess.

It had happened so suddenly.

Hinata was clutching onto Kageyama for dear life once Yahaba finally regained the composure to look beyond where Iwaizumi had ran off into the trees, his body shaking with sobs. Kageyama remained motionless, his skin quickly becoming consumed by the shadows. The darkness creeped faster than the color in Kageyama’s flushed skin faded, but slower than the dimming of the light within Hinata’s crystal.

How fitting it had been that someone of the light would be killed by something so dark.

Yahaba had moved without thinking, grabbing the statue of _Shen_ and willing the wind around him to call upon the Cardinal Element. His hair swayed in the push and pull of the air, encasing himself and anyone within arms distance of himself. Once _Shen_ appeared, all it took was for the image of what could be a person bobbing their head for Yahaba to know what could be done.

He hadn’t been fast enough.

Yahaba began to whistle, the wind about him slowly calming and from his lips a light began to glow. He had held the note for as long as he could, forcing himself to go beyond the capacity of his lungs until he couldn’t do it for any longer. The light remained, as did the echo of his whistle. The stream of light came together, balling itself into one solid shape before the sound died in the air. Calling upon Soul Whistle took far longer than anticipated, and _Shen_ had returned to their chamber when it became apparent that Yahaba didn’t need the element. 

It had been too late.

Hinata had fallen back when the glowing orb floated over him and Kageyama, unphased by his surprised hiccup of a gasp. Soul Whistle had its own air about itself, something soft and caressing when you were near but warm and encompassing when you touched the ball of light. It felt easier to breathe with its forming, and any aches you felt within your body seemed to relax. It was a comfort to even gaze upon the light, as though the answers to your questions, the known and unknown, were answered without sacrifice, but all at once those burning questions just didn’t truly matter anymore.

It’s the only reason no one seemed to panic as Kageyama slipped away from them.

Soul Whistle had given off sparks, tiny crackles that strangely soothed Yahaba’s racing mind and eased him relax his shoulders. Hinata had sighed when gazing at the orb, while the others were all silent, their energies calm for once since they began the journey.

The light of the orb then began to twist, spiraling out and picking up the currents of wind to push against the people who were in awe of its presence, but not in a way that Yahaba had felt the need to fight back. Soul Whistle gave off a sound, slowly crescendoing into their minds was an echo of the whistles before them, and loudest of all had been Yahaba’s, tuning together into a melodic song.

The spiraled arms of Soul Whistle reached down slowly, taking hold of Kageyama’s form, and attempting to fight back the shadow.

As they watched, Soul Whistle’s attention turned to Kageyama alone, and soon the calming air had turned sour. Yahaba had grown anxious, fearful it wouldn’t work.

It didn’t.

Soul Whistle burst into a shower of shining specks, and the last of Kageyama’s skin became encased with Hollow Body Phantom. The sparks that fell above him had clung to his blackened skin, bright and beautiful like a clear night sky with new constellations, but soon even the last of Soul Whistle’s light went out, swallowed by the shadows.

Kageyama was dead.

The realization took a moment to settle over the group, but it finally struck them when Hinata scrambled forward, choking on his frantic breathing, trying to grip his friend’s shoulders. The mere touch of the small Beast resulted in the body within Kageyama’s robes, what was left of it, to crumble away as though it were inky black smoke.

Kageyama left nothing behind but the Top Tier robes he had worn on their journey, and a little crystal that had no light left within.

Hinata’s screams pierced Yahaba’s heart, and he knew there would be no true comfort in Hinata’s life again - he knew it far too well.

Yahaba closes his eyes, trying to will the sound away. The only light within his temporary room came from the moon, for once the skies of Karasuno clear of any storm clouds. Yahaba sits in the darkest corner of the room, far from the bed and the light of the windows, his stomach twisting into an ugly sickness he can barely swallow back.

Lord Sawamura had been the one to find them, followed closely by ‘Two’ - or Suga rather, who appeared to still be mostly under control of the device. Nishinoya and Azumane joined them moments later, as Lord Sawamura tried to hold Hinata up and away from the clothes Kageyama had worn. Suga had knelt beside them, touching HInata’s cheek gently before the young Beast grew silent and limp, his eyes appearing as dead as any enslaved Beast’s.

Once Suga had Hinata in his arms, Lord Sawamura had turned to Kageyama’s clothes and gathered them slowly. He folded them simply and stood, glancing over Yahaba and his friends before leaving without a word.

They were lead back to Karasuno’s obsidian castle and given rooms for the night, their bodies exhausted and minds void of any actions to take. Only Kunimi asked about what to do about Iwaizumi, and no one had known how to answer him.

Yahaba takes a moment to wonder about Iwaizumi and where he’d gone after learning the truth. It wasn’t something that could be easy to take in, and Yahaba still struggled with the idea. But it made sense, and Yahaba knew he should have seen it sooner than he did. Everything they had that was touched by Oikawa, that carried Oikawa’s magic, should have been the brightest neon signs for him to recognize, and instead, Yahaba missed every single one of them.

A knock came at his door, but he barely registers the sound. He relaxes back into the corner of the room, pulling his knees in closer, and thinks they’ll go away if they think he’s asleep. Nothing comes again, and just as Yahaba thinks they’ve left, another knock comes again. He sighs, standing from the floor and hesitates. Perhaps the second knock will be the last.

But a third one comes and Yahaba knows he can’t keep them waiting.

Lord Sawamura is on the other side, his face heavy with sorrow. “May I come in?”

Yahaba steps aside to allow him to enter, and Sawamura takes a moment to light a candle in the room and takes a seat at the table. Yahaba closes the door before joining him, trying to shrink down into the chair.

“The power of the Soul Whistle was how I was able to find you all,” he explains when Yahaba doesn’t speak. “That, and Hinata’s screaming…”

“I tried,” Yahaba murmurs, voice cracking on the words.

Sawamura nods solemnly. “Queen Shimizu appreciates your attempt.” Yahaba doesn’t reply, keeping his focus on the candle between them. “Kageyama was… he was an amazing Wizard.”

“I’d heard stories,” Yahaba whispers, trying to keep his voice from cracking.

“Seijou was cruel to reject him on a rumor,” Sawamura continues, “though I understand that you didn’t know Kageyama back then, correct?”

Yahaba shakes his head. “Oikawa knew him…”

“Oikawa was the one who got him banished.” Yahaba doesn’t answer. “Kageyama’s specialty was with light magic, and to have been accused of dark magic like that… I felt bad for the kid.”

“Why are you here, Lord Sawamura?”

Sawamura sighs, folding his hands on the table. “We received word from Nekoma about what you’re doing. We’re prepared to give you any supplies you’ll need, but with this travesty…”

“You’re kicking us out,” Yahaba finishes for him, and Sawamura nods. “I understand, it was our fault Kageyama—“

“Make no mistake, Yahaba,” Sawamura cuts in, “this isn’t because we blame you for Kageyama. This is because the Magic Council will be here to attend the funeral, and while Lord Ukai may be against Lord Washijo—“

“Is _anyone_ on his side?” Yahaba asks, surprising Sawamura. “First Lord Irihata, then Lord Nekomata… now Lord Ukai? Is there anyone who is in favor of Lord Washijo?” At his silence, Yahaba believes he understands. “Lord Takeyuki is…?”

Sawamura takes a deep breath, closing his eyes before heavily exhaling. “You have heard about the Kingdom of Fukurodani, haven’t you?”

Yahaba feels confused. “Yes…?”

“What happened to them, I mean,” Sawamura corrects, looking back up to him. At Yahaba’s silence and furrowed brow, Sawamura slowly bobs his head. “I figured the people of Seijou were not informed. We’re close to Fukurodani, so we knew all about it…”

“About what?” Yahaba is almost afraid to know the answer.

“King Bokuto is a very powerful Wizard,” Sawamura begins, “but he was not raised on royalty. Wasn’t even given any lessons or taught how to properly handle running a kingdom. He was voted for by his people to take over as king, and the first thing he does…” Sawamura closes his eyes in a wince, a small shake of his head.

Yahaba believes he understands. “The fifth Beast…”

“He rejects something from the Magic Council immediately after his coronation,” Sawamura confirms, glaring down at the table. “He does it publicly, loudly, and so… _stupidly_.”

“The Magic Council cut off all ties with Fukurodani because of it,” Yahaba murmurs, remembering everything he’s been told about the kingdom in the Lands of Autumn. “It was done so the rest of the world wouldn’t know what had happened, but—“

“King Bokuto may as well have signed off for his people’s death,” Sawamura’s voice is grave, and Yahaba feels the horror at the idea take over. “It’s not known how well Fukurodani is doing, but from what intel we have been able to gather, many people have been killed.”

Yahaba gapes at him. “What is King Bokuto doing about this…?”

Sawamura shakes his head. “We don’t know…”

Silence falls between them and Yahaba focuses on the flickering light of the candle. “Lord Takeyuki isn’t on Washijo’s side because he agrees with him…”

“Most likely not,” Sawamura agrees, “if anything, it’s to try to save what’s left of Fukurodani.”

Yahaba glares into the burning light until he meets Sawamura’s eyes again. “If everyone is so against Washijo and what he’s done, why don’t we rise up against him? Surely there isn’t anyone who could possibly agree that the Beasts being enslaved is a good thing!”

“No one knows what Shiratorizawa thinks,” Sawamura shakes his head, “and Lord Nekomata is the one who suggested they create the devices after what happened to Prince Kozume, now king…”

“But Kuroo didn’t hurt Kenma!” Yahaba shouts, standing. This surprises Sawamura, but he doesn’t say anything as Yahaba continues. “It was a misunderstanding! Kuroo was _saving_ him!”

Sawamura stares up at him. “Kuroo…?”

“ _’One’s real name_!” Yahaba shouts, slamming his hands onto the table. “You don’t seriously believe every Beast that has been captured is still under control of the device, do you?!”

Sawamura looks pale. “One is… oh my Gods,” he mutters, clutching his head. “This is madness…”

“Daichi,” Yahaba snaps, getting the Hand of the Queen to look at him again, “are you freeing Suga or not?”

Sawamura swallows thickly, his eyes wavering from holding Yahaba’s gaze. “I… I’m trying to…”

“Just do it!” Yahaba shouts, throwing his hands in the air. “I freed Kyoutani, and Oikawa freed Iwaizumi! Hell, even Kageyama freed his Beast and—“

“It’s not that simple, Yahaba!” Sawamura cuts him off, standing now as well. His aura feels threatening, and Yahaba shrinks back in response from the glare now trained on him. “The early devices were made at random, they didn’t have a set system in place. I have to be careful, or Sugawara could die…”

Yahaba gulps, trying to calm himself. “I… I understand… I’m sorry, I forgot how complex the devices can be…”

“There’s instructions for the devices later on,” Sawamura continues, falling back into his seat. “For the early ones… it’s all guesswork…”

Yahaba’s brow furrows in confusion. “Then… how did King Bokuto do it in one move?”

Sawamura shakes his head, “no one knows…” He sighs, rubbing at his eyes. “My guess is that King Kozume was able to free ‘One’ because he had Lord Nekomata’s notes…”

“You could always asking him to see if it’ll give you an answer on freeing Sugawara,” Yahaba offers, but Sawamura again shakes his head.

“The notes Lord Ukai was willing to share with me were vague; the second and third devices were made together, but how and any other details were…”

“Not very detailed,” Yahaba guesses, Sawamura growing solemn. “I… I wish you luck on freeing him, Daichi.”

“Thank you, Yahaba,” Sawamura replies, trying his best to give him a smile. “He and Azumane deserve to be free… they all do.”

Yahaba nods, but he can’t bring himself to smile. “So… should we leave now for Fukurodani?”

Sawamura stands, glancing out the window. “No, it’s late. You should all take this time to sleep and leave in the morning. The council isn’t expected to come until late morning for the funeral…”

Yahaba doesn’t ask about the casket or what they plan to do without a body, a shiver running down his spine at the morbid thought. “Is… is Hinata okay?”

“He fell asleep in Suga’s arms,” Sawamura whispers, sorrow in his voice. “From what I could understand, he was waiting for Suga to be free to get proper permission, but now…”

Yahaba isn’t quite sure what Sawamura means, but the man is sighing and it seems he isn’t handling Kageyama’s passing very well either. “I’m sorry for your loss, Lord Sawamura.”

Sawamura reaches out, patting Yahaba’s shoulder. “Thank you for trying to save him; Soul Whistle isn’t an easy creature to summon.”

“Creature…?” Yahaba doesn’t understand. Oikawa had taught the spell to him, but he didn’t know anything about summoning.

Sawamura now looks confused himself. “Soul Whistle is a creature of the Eastern Element of Air; it’s made up of a wind force as well as the souls of the good who wander the Earth trying to save and heal as many humans as possible. Air made it possible for these souls to come together at the sound of a sorrowful whistle, and together they will heal the sick and wounded. Soul Whistle… it’s not an easy creature to summon, and a lot of Wizards don’t know to whistle when they’re wounded. How big was it? I’ve heard it’s the size of a fist when you summon one.”

Yahaba gapes at him. “It… it was much bigger than that,” he mumbles, and Sawamura looks impressed.

“It must have been,” he agrees, nodding a little, “it had a very powerful force.”

Yahaba stares at him a moment longer until Sawamura excuses himself, wishing Yahaba a good night and leaving the room without another word. In his state of shock, Yahaba falls back into the chair and stares off into the darkness of the room.

Oikawa had never said Soul Whistle was anything more than a spell. Yahaba had no idea he’d been summoning souls of the good this entire time during his training, and it bothers him that he wasn’t told this.

It bothers him that he wasn’t made aware of Oikawa’s death being faked. He focuses his attention to the night sky and the clouds that begin to form over the moon. There’s a lot about Oikawa that is beginning to bother Yahaba.

By morning, Yahaba had barely slept, but the exhaustion he feels acts more as a push to remain awake than anything else. He doesn’t greet his friends when they meet with Nishinoya at a small exit to the castle, and he doesn’t say anything as they’re given provisions to carry on with their travels. He focuses on the pattering of rain and immediately feels annoyed at the idea of being soaked to the bone again.

They’ve barely made it out of sight of the obsidian castle when he scowls to himself and pushes his magic out, stopping the rain around him from falling on their heads. Kindaichi gasps in surprise, and Watari hurries to his side.

“Is it a good idea to be using this much magic this close to Karasuno?” He asks, and Yahaba scoffs.

“I want out of this stupid rain,” he grumbles, continuing on without letting his magic fall. The others hesitate, but they hurry after Yahaba and continue trudging through the mud.

It doesn’t take long for all of them to sense someone running towards them. Yahaba stops, turning his glare to the direction this person is coming from and he waits with bated breath. The others stop as well, readying themselves for an attack, but nothing comes.

Instead, Iwaizumi steps through the trees, muddied from his night in the Everblack Woods and new scars fresh with blood adorning his flesh. “Thought that was you, Yahaba,” he grinds out, jaw clenched.

Yahaba can feel the tension rolling off of him. “You look awful. What happened? Run into _Insessin_?”

Iwaizumi scoffs. “Something like that…” He looks to Kunimi and says something Yahaba can’t understand, and Kunimi only nods in reply. Iwaizumi looks back to Yahaba. “I’m going with you to Fukurodani.”

“Why?” He snaps, “you were quick to abandon us when you learned Oikawa betrayed you!”

“Oikawa’s an asshole,” Iwaizumi growls, “if he’s alive, he’s going after the elements, too. I’m going to Fukurodani to find him so I can fucking kill him.”

Yahaba snarls, immediately dropping the magic that holds the rain and lashing out with a different spell. It sends Iwaizumi flying back, tearing apart the trees and sending a few to the ground. Kindaichi and Watari are shouting something, but he doesn’t hear them.

“ _Come again, Iwaizumi_?!” He shouts, pushing himself forward with the same spell to get closer to where he sent Iwaizumi flying. “ _Last I heard, you loved the fucker! Why are you threatening to kill him_?!”

He doesn’t see anything, the rain getting heavier. There’s a flash of lighting, along with a sudden materialization of Iwaizumi, and with the crash of thunder, Yahaba is reeling back with the punch to his face. He feels his body collide into the trunk of a tree, and through his ragged breathing, Yahaba looks up and is able to push himself away before the next fist has time to connect with his jaw. The wood splinters under Iwaizumi’s power, and his fist becomes stuck in the tree. Yahaba rounds on him, sending a spell of cutting wind to attack him in return.

Iwaizumi’s body is carved into before the force of the wind sends him flying, the fist that was stuck in the tree ripped away and splintering the wood further. Yahaba stops the spell, watching Iwaizumi fall into the mud some distance away. He waits, watching the other man groan and push himself up.

Just as he’s preparing another wind attack, Iwaizumi’s red marks begin to glow bright red. Yahaba’s eyes widen and he stops, frozen in shock as fire lights along Iwaizumi’s skin and dances from his mark. Yahaba gapes at him, seeing the fire burning even within his eyes before Iwaizumi suddenly shoots across the clearing at him, knocking Yahaba back.

Iwaizumi is holding him to the muddied ground, his fangs elongating and the fire burning hot against Yahaba’s skin. “ _Roventure har dem_ ,” he snarls, raising a clawed hand and preparing to strike. Yahaba is unable to move, the fire licking at his skin and threatening to burn. Iwaizumi’s claws comes crashing down with another flash of lightning, but a hand swings out, slapping Iwaizumi across the face and pushing him off of Yahaba.

Yahaba is too afraid to sit up, staring up into the canopy of the trees that hadn’t fallen in his attack, the rain pelting down around him while his ears begin to ring. It’s hard to hear, but distantly he recognizes the sound of thunder along with Watari’s voice, and slowly Yahaba lifts himself up, slipping in the mud a bit before he’s able to sit up.

Standing nearby, Watari is focused on Iwaizumi as he shouts at him words Yahaba isn’t able to comprehend. Beyond him, Yahaba is able to see Kindaichi and Kunimi, both of whom look as though they’d witnessed a murder. It’s Iwaizumi that shocks him the most.

Iwaizumi’s fire is gone, the marks on his shoulders now black in color. His eyes are dim as he stares at Yahaba, the mixture of blood, mud, and rain on his skin making Yahaba wince in shame. He’s worse than he was when they met up with him, but what makes it worse is the expression Iwaizumi wears.

Iwaizumi looks as though he regrets everything that has led to this moment, as though he were gutted and put on display for the world to see. There’s nothing left burning in his eyes, no strength left in his features. He looks weakened, like a puppy kicked down into the storm drains of Seijou’s main business area. Most of all, Iwaizumi wears the expression of one heartbroken beyond repair.

Yahaba chokes on his sob, his hearing returning in time to hear the tail end of Watari’s shouting. “ _We’re in this together, you can’t go attacking each other_!”

“Watari,” he manages, shaking his head. “Stop…”

Watari turns to him, exhaustion clear on his face. “Yahaba, you—“

“Iwaizumi is hurting,” Yahaba says, trying to stand and failing. Instead, he gets to his knees and crawls over to the forest tribe leader, who winces at Yahaba’s approach. “We… we have to help him…”

Kunimi finally moves, hurrying to Iwaizumi’s side. “Iwaizumi has not been acting like himself for a while. He’s not in his right mind,” he explains, glancing up at Watari. “Please, don’t blame him…”

Watari gulps, watching Yahaba and Kunimi attempt to clear the mud away from Iwaizumi’s body. “I… I’m sorry… we just - no one should be attacking each other, not like this…!”

Yahaba nods, glancing over to Watari with a frown. “We know…”

It takes some time, but eventually Kindaichi joins them and uses his own magic to clean Iwaizumi of the mud, blood, and grime on his skin. Watari is quick to use his protection spell to stop the rain from falling on them any longer, and Yahaba takes a deep breath to call upon Soul Whistle once more.

Soul Whistle is slow to form, but once it does, it’s no bigger than Yahaba’s fist. It’s much more like every other time he’s ever summoned it, and the light is fast it work at healing Iwaizumi’s cuts. The ones Soul Whistle is unable to work on, Kunimi is able to heal with his own light, the blue mark on his shoulder glowing as Iwaizumi’s had.

“I,” Iwaizumi coughs, and everyone waits for him to continue. “I’m sorry…”

“You don’t need to apologize,” Yahaba replies, pushing back Iwaizumi’s wet bangs. “You’re going through a hard time right now…”

Iwaizumi shakes his head. “I… I was trying to stay strong for Oikawa, but now…” His face twists into pain, but it’s not from the healing. He crumbles into sobs, and Yahaba wants to pull him close. Now is not the time, not with the cuts still needing to be healed. “T-Tooru is _alive_...! He… he _lied_ to me, for so long…!”

No one is sure of what to say, and they all listen as he continues to ramble about his betrayal, the words stumbling into his own language. Watari is avoiding eye contact with anyone, and Kindaichi looks uncomfortable, as though he wishes he knew what to say. Kunimi is focusing on Yahaba, the most emotion Yahaba has ever seen in his eyes as he listens to what Iwaizumi is muttering about.

Yahaba’s heart aches, wishing for a sign on what he could possibly do here.

The rain slowly comes to a stop by the time Iwaizumi’s wounds are tended to, and Yahaba notes that the red hues of Iwaizumi’s mark returns just as Kunimi’s becomes darkened and black as well. It hits him then how strange that actually is.

“I don’t,” he mumbles, looking between the two of them. “Was that…?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Kunimi mutters, pulling Iwaizumi to stand with him. “We need to get out of here.”

He decides it’s best to wait until they’re out of the Everblack Woods to question this phenomenon, to question how Iwaizumi was capable of what he’d done. Yahaba stands with them, and slowly, the group begins the journey to the Lands of Autumn.


	35. Fallen Leaves

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a computer again, so that's nice. I don't have internet though, so that's not nice.
> 
> What's also nice however is that MonkParty, artist of the charms that were made for Illusion of Choice, has confirmed she has all the charms now and will be shipping them out this Monday! Yay!!

It’s been two weeks and the rain hasn’t fallen on them for about three days now. Yahaba wants to think this means they’re out of the Everblack Woods, but according to maps, that usually means they’d be seeing the red and orange leaves that are iconic in the Lands of Autumn. Everything is too green, and still slightly damp. They must still be in Karasuno’s territory.

Those two weeks were spent in silence amongst their group. Well… silence between Yahaba and Iwaizumi at least. Watari barely talks himself, his eyes constantly downcast and only ever speaking when asked a question by Kunimi or Kindaichi.

Kunimi and Kindaichi spoke mostly between themselves, their voices hushed as though the silence couldn’t be broken in the group. Occasionally, during the times they would set up camp, Kunimi would go to Iwaizumi and murmur things to him in their language. Iwaizumi never responded, his gaze unfocused. He never even nodded or shook his head in reply.

It was all becoming way too concerning when yesterday, Iwaizumi checked out with an unblinking face. Though they never spoke, Yahaba and Watari grew more and more worried as Kunimi and Kindaichi spoke and pleaded with Iwaizumi to respond in some way and he never did. It got worse when Kunimi checked for a pulse and no one could breathe properly until Iwaizumi suddenly blinked, pushing himself away from Kunimi. No one moved as Iwaizumi stood slowly, stumbling away into the thicket of trees.

The moon was high in the sky by the time Iwaizumi returned, and only Yahaba was awake to see him stumble back to them. Yahaba had thought it strange no one went after him, but when Kindaichi and Watari had tried, Kunimi stopped them and simply shook his head. They both hesitated, but eventually they settled back into their places and anxiously awaited his return, only to fall asleep from the exhaustion of traveling for so long.

Iwaizumi had met his gaze when he returned, but Yahaba didn’t feel as though they had truly looked at one another. Things were off, and by the morning, Yahaba couldn’t take his _own_ silence any longer.

“Iwaizumi!” He snaps, stopping in his tracks to turn around towards the man who takes up the rear. Everyone else stops as well, looking surprised that Yahaba spoke at all. Iwaizumi doesn’t meet his eyes. “We need to talk!”

Kunimi shakes his head, “now isn’t the time—”

“Yes, it is!” Yahaba shouts, stepping around the group to grab Iwaizumi’s hand. “Come with me.”

Iwaizumi flinches when their hands meet, putting his away and stepping back. Yahaba stares at him, waiting for anything else to happen. When nothing does, he goes to grab again, but this time Kunimi is the one grabbing his wrist and shaking his head. “Leave it alone, Yahaba.”

Yahaba glares at the healer, turning his attention back to Iwaizumi. “We can’t keep going like this! We need to—”

“There is nothing we need to do,” Kunimi interjects, sighing. “Let him figure this out on his own…”

Iwaizumi takes this as his chance to leave, walking away from the group and into the thicker parts of the treeline. Yahaba watches him go, growing frustrated. “We shouldn’t be leaving him like this…”

Kunimi nods, “I understand your concern, but Iwaizumi…” He trails off, clearly unable to find a good explanation for this.

“He’s not in a good place, Kunimi,” Watari starts to say, the uncertainty in his voice worrisome. “We can’t knowingly let him wallow in depression. This whole time, he’s been struggling with the idea that Oikawa is dead, but now we know that isn’t true and… Gods, can you imagine that?”

Yahaba shifts between his feet, staring at the dark dirt path. “Iwaizumi will be fine,” Kunimi murmurs, “we just have to give him time…”

“But what if too much space isn’t good for him?” Yahaba asks, pulling his hand from Kunimi’s. “You haven’t been with us this whole time! You weren’t in Nekoma with us, when I found him sobbing over Oikawa’s book, or when he told Kyoutani something that resulted in them not speaking for some time!”

Kunimi’s brows furrow and he narrows his eyes. “Come again…?”

“He told Kyoutani something, I’m not sure what, but it made Kyoutani so upset and—”

“No,” Kunimi shakes his head, standing a little straighter. “What did you find him like?”

Yahaba blinks, surprised he had admitted to that. “I…”

“He was sobbing?” Kunimi asks, not looking convinced. “Iwaizumi does not weep, not openingly, and especially not when someone outside the tribe is with him.”

Gulping, Yahaba hangs his head. “I… I didn’t let him know that I saw him…”

Kunimi’s eyes harden further and Watari groans. Kindaichi gapes at him, shaking his head. “Yahaba, why would you just… watch him?”

Throwing his hands up, Yahaba shrugs and avoids their eyes. “Look, Kyoutani had said they were arguing about something and that Iwaizumi was cruel, it’s not like I could just walk into his room and comfort him!” He looks between the three of them, and feels the most ashamed at the way Kunimi looks at him. “I just… I didn’t think he’d welcome my comfort at the time…”

“Iwaizumi welcomes comfort from _faemn_ ,” Kunimi explains, “only Kyoutani is _faemn_ to Iwaizumi, not even Hanamaki reached that level of trust between them.”

Yahaba feels his head getting light, his vision swimming. “Kyoutani is…”

“Dead,” Kunimi finishes for him, and Yahaba feels a twitch along his nerves at the word. “He’s dead and there’s no one else who can help Iwaizumi, so please… let him figure it out.”

“This isn’t healthy,” Watari mumbles, shaking his head. “I don’t care that only Kyoutani could help him, Wizards don’t work like that!”

Kindaichi comes closer to Kunimi, reaching out to touch his shoulder. “Surely he’d accept your comfort, being from his tribe…?”

Kunimi closes his eyes and sighs. “I could try, but I doubt it would work. Iwaizumi cares for his tribe, but it’s not easy to consider the tribe brothers without seeming to play favorites…”

Yahaba stands a little straighter at this. “If… if he calls you his brother, then… that means you’re _faemn_ , right?”

“That is what _faemn_ means,” Kunimi raises a brow. “Why?”

Kindaichi seems to light up, “he called you his brother, didn’t he?”

Yahaba feels his cheeks warm and nods. “Before we met Kageyama and Hinata, he was explaining that Kyoutani wanted to claim me and out of respect for him, he’s accepted me as such.”

Kunimi doesn’t look surprised. “Then… go to him.”

Yahaba hesitates. “Are you sure?”

“Just because you fought and he feels you lied about Oikawa doesn’t mean he’ll take it back,” Kunimi considers this a moment and shrugs, “well. He probably won’t.”

Watari slowly gives Kunimi a side-eyed look. “ _Probably_?”

Kunimi just shrugs again. Kindaichi chuckles humorlessly, “well… I’m worried about him, so do your best, Yahaba!”

Gulping, Yahaba turns to follow where Iwaizumi had gone, praying to the Gods that he’ll be able to do something. The ground is soft beneath his feet, still wet from the rains they must have missed in this area of the Everblack Woods. Twigs snap when he steps over the jutting roots and he focuses on the indents within the mud of what must be Iwaizumi’s boots.

The ground grows firmer the further he goes, and there’s a shift in the air. Yahaba shivers at the feeling, trying desperately to follow the fading footprints. There’s a maple scent hanging around him, but Yahaba doesn’t want to think about the sweet treats the people of Seijou would receive from Fukurodani.

Squeezing between two trees, he stops when he finds who he’s looking for. Iwaizumi is perched on a rock, the book in his hands open. He’s staring down at it, and Yahaba carefully approaches. A leaf crunches under his foot, and Iwaizumi looks up at the sound. The book snaps shut, reminding Yahaba of what Iwaizumi has said before.

“You can read it,” he whispers, afraid that his voice may send Iwaizumi running again. Iwaizumi doesn’t respond, keeping his focus on Yahaba as he steps closer. “That’s why Oikawa’s image doesn’t read to you the words anymore…”

“I haven’t heard his voice since we enter the Everblack Woods,” Iwaizumi quietly says, voice raspy and cold. “The writing is… I get what it says now…”

Yahaba comes to a stop beside the boulder, staring down at the little blue book. “I guess learning to read something is easy if you’re hearing the words, too…”

Iwaizumi shakes his head. “I wasn’t reading them,” he admits, “I was too focused on Tooru’s face to read them…”

Yahaba isn’t sure what to say.

Iwaizumi looks down at the book and sneers, lifting it over his head and throwing it as hard as he can. It hits a tree, jostling the leaves so that a few will fall. “That… that _fucking asshole_! He’s alive and… and…!” He screams something Yahaba doesn’t recognise, gripping at his hair and leaning forward to huddle into himself. “This whole time…! That book is a _joke_ , I was forced to learn your language with the magic there! He made it so eventually I wouldn’t get to hear him anymore!”

“Iwaizumi,” Yahaba tries, but Iwaizumi shouts again, a strained sound coming with the cry this time. “Iwaizumi, please… I… I don’t think Oikawa meant to hurt you…”

Snapping his gaze up to Yahaba, Iwaizumi snarls at him, “what would _you_ know?! You don’t seem to know him all that well either!”

Yahaba is taken aback, glaring down at the forest tribe’s leader. “We did know him! We…! We still do!”

Iwaizumi scoffs, glaring out at the trees. “It would be better if we knew it was Kentarou who was alive, not stupid Tooru… at least _Kentarou_ didn’t have a choice in his supposed death!”

His mouth feels dry at Iwaizumi’s words, and Yahaba has to sit down on the rock before he falls over. “I… I pray more than anything that Kentarou is alive…”

“He better fucking be,” Iwaizumi mutters, “he’d gladly help me murder the Wizard King.”

Yahaba wants to argue - to say that Iwaizumi doesn’t mean that - but he’s not actually sure of that. “If he is alive, do you think he’s trying to find us?”

“He’s my _desava faemn_ , he better be looking for me,” Iwaizumi huffs, crossing his arms and sitting up a bit more. He leans over, bumping Yahaba’s shoulder. “I meant it, too - what I said before. He loved you, I’m sure of it.”

Yahaba wants to smile, but he gets the feeling that Iwaizumi is saying it for a different reason. “Why do you think so?”

“Because one of us should be happy,” Iwaizumi turns to look at Yahaba, narrowing his eyes, “and I sure as fuck am not going to be happy with a liar.”

Sighing, Yahaba shakes his head. “What if Oikawa didn’t have a choice…?”

“He always said shit like that,” Iwaizumi grumbles, glaring at the trees again, “claiming things were complicated because he didn’t have free will like everyone else - that being king made things difficult to do things just because he wanted to…” Iwaizumi shakes his head, his frown becoming more pronounced. “He almost didn’t marry me because he couldn’t think of how that would benefit his people,” he barks a laugh, but it sounds hollow, “fuck the people! What about _me_? How can someone say they’re in love but not… he never once thought of me, how _any_ of this effected me…”

Yahaba takes a moment to think this over before he finally turns to Iwaizumi. “You were king of your tribe.”

“Leader,” Iwaizumi corrects, “no one called me a king…”

“Whatever, the translation is either one of them,” Yahaba waves this off, continuing on, “did you ever make sacrifices for the good of the tribe?”

Iwaizumi frowns, slowly turning to meet Yahaba’s eyes. “What does that—”

“Answer the question,” Yahaba insists. Iwaizumi narrows his eyes, but he still doesn’t reply. “You have, haven’t you? You knew what benefitted your tribe and what you needed to do for them, even if it meant giving up on things you wanted.”

“That’s not—”

“Don’t.” Yahaba doesn’t waver, and Iwaizumi’s eyes widen at the look on Yahaba’s face. “You keep saying Oikawa never once thought of you and that he faked his death without even considering how it might have affected you. Have you ever thought that maybe he couldn’t tell you? That maybe he was forced to make a decision and that meant not telling you what he was doing?”

Iwaizumi gapes at him now, the shock evident in his eyes. Yahaba licks his lips, trying to wet his dried out mouth, but nothing comes. Iwaizumi’s gaze drops to the rock they’re sitting on, then over to the dirt and grass in the small clearing. Yahaba waits for his response, but something tells him nothing will come.

A slight breeze comes then, pushing at their hair. Yahaba shivers at the cold, the rustling of leaves from the trees comes before Yahaba sees the first few falling with the extra push.

“Tooru had to have a reason,” Iwaizumi finally murmurs, more to himself than anything, but it’s something. “I… I shouldn’t be mad at him…”

“You have a right to be angry,” Yahaba sighs, patting Iwaizumi’s shoulder. The red of his marks gives off a heat not unlike the fire from before, and Yahaba wonders about that for a moment. Now is still not the time to ask, however; he needs to make sure Iwaizumi will move past this - that he can move past this. Forgive, but not necessarily forget. “You can be angry with him, just keep in mind that he had to have had a reason for not telling you.”

Iwaizumi takes a shaking breath. “I know…”

Removing his hand from the warmth, Yahaba watches as a few more leaves fall. They’re not exactly green now that he thinks about it. They’re kind of brown in some places, maybe even red. But the trees themselves are still green for the most part, so Yahaba isn’t sure they’re out of the Everblack Woods just yet.

“When I see him, I’ll ask,” Iwaizumi nods to himself, sitting back up to meet Yahaba’s gaze. “I will get my answer then, and depending on what it is, I’ll either kill him or kiss him.”

“You can hit him either way,” Yahaba suggests, trying for a smile. Iwaizumi scoffs, but the corner of his lip twitches anyway. “Do you think Kentarou could be alive…?”

Iwaizumi looks to the trees, considering his words. “Maybe… Kentarou isn’t a pushover, though I’m not sure if he could survive a fall like that. I hope he is,” he returns his focus to Yahaba, “for both of our sakes.”

Yahaba’s smiling a little more now. “I hope so, too.” The breeze stops and Yahaba shifts, hesitant for only a second before he rests his head on Iwaizumi’s shoulder. “Please don’t forget you have us, Hajime…”

Iwaizumi nuzzles against Yahaba’s head in a familiar way, though he doesn’t move to pull Yahaba closer. “Thank you, _faemn_ , for not giving up on me…”

Iwaizumi is warm to the touch, and Yahaba can’t take it anymore. “What… what was that?” Iwaizumi grunts, confusion evident in the sound. “That fire you gave off… how did you do that?”

He’s silent, the rustle of leaves picking up again. “You Wizards really don’t know a thing about _komshae_...”

Yahaba pulls away now and they look at one another “What are you talking about?”

“Magic is a complicated thing,” Iwaizumi says, “not many are good at it.”

“That’s true,” a new voice says, making Yahaba jump away from Iwaizumi in surprise. “Even some Wizards are barely able to do the simplest of spells, if you think about it.”

Yahaba turns to the source, Iwaizumi standing from the boulder when they see who it is. “Matsukawa…!” Yahaba calls, relief at seeing the familiar face.

Matsukawa smirks and nods to both in turn, “hello, Yahaba, Iwaizumi.”

Iwaizumi snarls, stepping onto the rock to propel himself up and over it, barreling towards Matsukawa. “ _You bastard_!”

“ _Despavare_ , stop!” Someone else yells, jumping between Matsukawa and Iwaizumi. It’s Hanamaki, holding his hands out in a placating maner. “No harm!”

Growling, Iwaizumi stops in front of Hanamaki, glaring between the two newcomers. “Get out of the way, Hanamaki!”

Hanamaki shakes his head, expression one of determination. “No harm, Iwaizumi!”

Matsukawa heaves a sigh and scratches at his head. “I take it you figured out Oikawa is alive…”

Yahaba gapes at him. “You… knew?”

“Well, someone had to create the illusion,” Matsukawa shrugs, not at all bothered by what he says. “Oikawa’s never been very good at illusions - at least not convincing ones.”

Iwaizumi growls again, and it takes a moment for Yahaba to realize how right Matsukawa is. He stares at Iwaizumi, surprised that even he had pieced together it was Matsukawa sooner than Yahaba had. Yahaba frowns at that thought.

Of course Iwaizumi would have picked up on it - he married Oikawa. Hell, he even _claimed_ him!

Iwaizumi is sniffing at the air, which makes Hanamaki’s demeanor shift to one of embarrassment. Iwaizumi scoffs, his expression turning to distaste. “You _claimed_ him?”

Hanamaki seems to shrink at Iwaizumi’s tone. “I… well, he…”

“I don’t believe I agreed to that,” Iwaizumi mutters, Hanamaki wincing at the words. Matsukawa straightens, moving to stand at Hanamaki’s side when Iwaizumi’s focus snaps to him. “You have some fucking nerve to not only lie to me about my _vashuco_ , but to also claim my _faelt_! And my _deselt_ at that!”

“You don’t own your tribe, Iwaizumi.” Matsukawa’s voice is cold, accusatory even. “Makki can do as he pleases, you don’t own him.”

Hanamaki straightens at Matsukawa’s words and nods. “ _Faelt_ dies… many loss…”

Iwaizumi immediately flinches back in surprise, gawking at his second. “What do you mean?”

Hanamaki says something then, the words unknown to Yahaba, but those few words seem to completely destroy Iwaizumi as he falls to his knees. “I sorry, Iwaizumi…”

“Not everyone has died,” Matsukawa explains, but Yahaba doesn’t think that’s much of a comfort as he slowly comes to realize what is being said. “But the tribe… the people of Seijou… the Hollow Body Phantom is carving it’s mark on the world, and taking the lives of anyone within the area around the Dark Forest is just the beginning.”

Yahaba feels the cold air seep over him, another breeze coming through the trees and knocking away more leaves. They’re different now, red and orange hues covering these leaves and Yahaba slowly looks up to see the changing of green leaves to reds, oranges, yellows, and even a few brown. It’s a strange sight to behold, and he frankly has no idea how it’s happening.

The others seem to notice as well, all three staring up at the trees in surprise. They even shiver a little like Yahaba until they all hear the sound of someone walking over the fallen leaves. Yahaba hurries to Iwaizumi’s side, uncertain of what they’ll face.

A heat so comforting meets Yahaba’s senses, one that runs through that of powerful magic, and he feels his body tremble in response. It doesn’t feel threatening, but whatever it is has brought the changing of the trees with it.

The figure approaching them has barely become visible when Iwaizumi and Hanamaki drop to their knees and bow. Matsukawa and Yahaba share a look of confusion, but neither join them as the other person comes closer to the small clearing.

Yahaba feels as though he’s looking at the most enchanting person he’s ever seen. The man is a Beast not unlike the two on their knees, his dark hair unkempt but still soft and flowing lightly, free of tangles in this breeze he seems to carry with him. His eyes burn with an intensity that is not matched with his expression, and the clothes he wears are much more elegant than any other clothes Yahaba’s seen a Beast wear. The only thing Yahaba finds unsettling are his marks.

They’re shaped in similar ways to Iwaizumi’s, maybe a few different designs here and there, but the color is not red like every other Beast Tribal Leader he’s seen. These marks are a deep blue, perhaps even black, and by focusing on certain areas, Yahaba can tell they are not completely together.

Broken, like fractured glass, a mark destroyed by something Yahaba does not know the meaning of.

He looks between Yahaba and Matsukawa, then down to where Hanamaki and Iwaizumi are. There isn’t any surprise, or even any hate, as he steps over to them both. “Hajime, it has been years…”

Yahaba’s shocked at the familiarity, never once having heard Iwaizumi’s name from another person like this. Iwaizumi stands when the other Beast comes to a stop before him, but he continues to bow, taking the other’s hand and pressing a kiss to the back of it.

“It’s been far too long, Keiji,” Iwaizumi greets, finally standing straight. “I’m sorry for the loss of _Pandem faelt_...”

This Beast, Keiji, doesn’t react to the apology. “You did nothing,” his words are met with a flinch as Iwaizumi pulls his hand away, but Keiji raises the hand to stop him from speaking. “You could _do_ nothing. Not even King Bokuto could save my people.”

Yahaba gapes at the exchange, feeling as though he’s intruding on something private and that he should perhaps look away. But it’s hard to look away - Keiji holds an air around him that demands attention, not to mention his appearance is absolutely stunning. But his marks are what truly hold Yahaba’s attention.

The marks are not permanent - all this time, Yahaba had believed they were tattoos etched into the skin of Beasts, but… if Yahaba is understanding correctly, Keiji should have similar markings to Iwaizumi - they should be red, not black and broken and…

“Dead…” Yahaba whispers, barely breathes as he continues to stare. Keiji heard it anyway, and his intense gaze turns to Yahaba’s, expression never once breaking.

The tribe in the Lands of Autumn is dead, and this is the only survivor - their leader, saved and protected by the King of Fukurodani, Akaashi Keiji.


	36. Story of Ninrel

Leaves are rustling on the ground and Yahaba feels frozen under Akaashi Keiji’s intense stare. He wishes he hadn’t said it, that he had kept the word to himself. But there isn’t any hatred in Akaashi’s eyes - no happiness, no sadness, no anger.

They’re empty, lifeless almost. A loss so deep that Yahaba can see it in the burning in the blue-green glow of his eyes.

“Who is this?” Akaashi asks, keeping his gaze on Yahaba. Yahaba hates that he flinches at the question, though he has no idea why.

“Yahaba,” Iwaizumi answers, “heir to the Kingdom of Seijou, though he’s technically their king.”

Akaashi doesn’t react. “I see…” He turns to look down at Hanamaki, gesturing for the other to stand. “Please stand, Hanamaki - let me look at Hajime’s _daselt_.”

Hanamaki slowly rises, keeping his head down. “ _Despavare_ Akaashi,” he starts, taking Akaashi’s hand and pressing his knuckles to his forehead. He says something else, but Yahaba doesn’t know the words.

“You’ve claimed a Wizard, Hanamaki,” Akaashi replies, his burning eyes looking to Matsukawa. Yahaba feels some satisfaction at the fact that he winces when Akaashi looks at him, but Yahaba also wonders what it is about Akaashi that has them all so on edge. “What is his name?”

“Matsukawa,” Hanamaki answers without pause, dropping Akaashi’s hand and standing tall. “I… not get permission…”

Akaashi hums, his focus flicking to Iwaizumi again. “Do all _herbesc_ disregard you and claim whoever they wish?”

Iwaizumi doesn’t seem bothered by the question. “Matsukawa is Hanamaki’s to claim, I do not mind.”

“But _desiva_ Kyoutani claims their king?” Akaashi barely looks at Yahaba now, a twitch of his brow the only other movement Yahaba has seen. “Or… he started to… where is your little brother, Hajime?”

“Dead,” Iwaizumi answers, the word making Yahaba’s stomach turn. “At least, as far as I’m aware he is.”

Akaashi hums, low and thoughtful in his throat. “I thought for sure the Wizard Killer would never die, let alone love. Yet here we are…”

Iwaizumi does not reply to the statement. “Keiji, you should now I—”

“—have claimed the original King of Seijou?” Akaashi huffs a laugh, the most emotions Yahaba has heard from him so far. “Don’t be stupid, Hajime. I know you broke the trust of our elders and claimed Oikawa.” Akaashi’s jaw shifts, his gaze falling to the dirt beneath their feet. “I don’t blame you; the arrangement wasn’t something I desired either.”

“I didn’t mean to betray you, Keiji,” Iwaizumi whispers, “you were supposed to be _vashuco_...”

Akaashi sighs. “You never wanted me, Hajime. Just like I never wanted you…”

Iwaizumi frowns, his brow furrowing. “That’s not completely true.”

“You’re right,” Akaashi nods, “maybe once upon a time I had dreamed of claiming you - of being claimed in return. And maybe then you had dreamt the same as me… but times change, and we meet those better suited to us.”

Iwaizumi’s brows lower as his eyes narrow. “What do you mean?”

“King Bokuto is kind,” Akaashi murmurs, and in that moment, Yahaba sees the first spark of life in Akaashi’s eyes and understands what he means. “A good and kind man…”

Iwaizumi relaxes and gapes at Akaashi for a moment, watching the color rise in Akaashi’s cheeks. “You’ve claimed King Bokuto…?”

Akaashi’s lips twitch ever so softly, and Yahaba really feels out of place listening to this exchange. “He makes for a good king, Hajime…”

Iwaizumi slowly nods, the apparent shock wavering. “I believe it; he didn’t abandon his people or yours when the Magic Council came.”

The statement has Akaashi’s apparent happiness faltering until he returns to the intense emotionless state from before. “My _bashuco_ did all that he could, but it was not enough…”

Matsukawa decides then to interject, clearing his throat. Hanamaki sends him a look, but he doesn’t acknowledge him as the two Beast leaders turn and look at him. “I know this reunion must be long overdue, but I don’t think this is the time to be reminiscing about things.”

Akaashi gives Matsukawa a look. “What brings you to the Lands of Autumn, Hajime?”

Iwaizumi narrows his eyes as well, watching Matsukawa. “We’re in need of finding _Minle_. We believe it is here.”

Matsukawa looks between the two of them, beginning to understand that they would only speak to one another even if someone interrupts. He settles back, crossing his arms and rolling his eyes before the two leaders returned to looking at another.

“ _Ninrel_ is sacred, what could need it for?” Akaashi asks, his hands rising as he seems to subconsciously begin fiddle with his fingers. Yahaba watches the nervous display, though from the way Akaashi holds himself, he isn’t so sure it’s from nerves.

Without even meaning to, Yahaba speas again before Iwaizumi can find the best way to break the news to his old friend. “ _Yovoisure_ is growing in Seijou,” he says, making the two look at him now. Akaashi’s hands pause, but he doesn’t let go, watching Yahaba for a moment. “I can show you - Oikawa’s map has the figure on it growing in real time.”

Akaashi briefly looks to Iwaizumi, but it doesn’t seem that he finds what he’d been looking for before nodding to Yahaba. “Show me.”

Yahaba reaches into his bag and pulls out the table, placing it on the ground to enlarge it for viewing.

It’s worse than he thought.

The Frozen North remains unchanged, though it seems the cat figures have popped up around the lands there to represent all the troops that have moved out. Yahaba wonders what that could possibly be, but it’s not important. The Sunblessed Desert has also remained the same, save for perhaps one or two new eagles randomly placed without the heated plains. 

Fukurodani’s castle remains untouched it would appear, but Yahaba sees the figures of he and his friends just outside the kingdom. The Everblack Woods are exactly as Yahaba remembers, only to the north of the obsidian castle figure he sees a large crater that he knows must be where they found _Shen_.

All this just barely registers for Yahaba, as he gapes at the eastern side of the map where the Kingdom of Seijou once stood.

Darkness is bleeding into the image of what used to be green hues to denote Seijou’s borders, the dark veins similar to the ones scaring Yahaba’s arms working their way into the dark green of the Dark Forest. The center of Seijou’s lands is practically black, and hanging over it all is the Hollow Body Storm cloud, larger than Yahaba remembers it ever being. The black veins of darkness are making their way up to the mountains to the south of Seijou, and the yellow markers for Johzenji’s trading cities are gone. 

“ _Fisata_ ,” Akaashi mutters, gaping down at the map. “This is—”

“ _Tooru_ ,” Iwaizumi interrupts, voice shaking with an intense emotion Yahaba cannot place, making everyone look at him. He seems to be just as in shock as Akaashi despite having seen the map before, and Yahaba grows worried from his reaction. What did Oikawa— “K-Kentarou…”

Yahaba immediately turns to look back at the map and sure enough, just along the edges of the darkness, he sees two figures - one that he hasn’t seen since acquiring the map, and another he didn’t expect to see again.

“They’re alive,” Iwaizumi mumbles, and Yahaba feels his head go light with the realization. “They’re…”

“They’re coming to Fukurodani,” Yahaba finishes for him, shaking a little. 

Hanamaki grunts. “Oikawa go missing - place no magic.”

“Makki sent a Whisper Wolf to him and it came back once,” Matsukawa nods, “he must have fallen into the Isle of Iron’s territory after we helped him escape. It’s the only place I can think of that doesn’t have magic.”

“How does he have _desava faemn_?!” Iwaizumi snarls, slamming his fist onto the table. “Where did they find one another?!”

Hanamaki chuckles, shrugging when Iwaizumi glares at him. “ _Desava_ must fall to place no magic, too!”

Akaashi hums thoughtfully, “I thought it strange when you said the Wizard Killer was dead. Didn’t seem likely…”

Iwaizumi turns his glare on Akaashi. “My little brother is actually alive and all you can bring up is that he’s a murderer?!”

“He is, Hajime,” Akaashi replies, completely unphased by the shouting. “Besides, he began claiming a Wizard and now is traveling with one; surely he’s changed.”

Yahaba can’t listen to them anymore, barely registering Hanamaki’s broken words about Kyoutani probably wanting to kill Oikawa but can’t because of Iwaizumi’s claim. He’s too busy staring at the figure of his love. It isn’t moving, and while the map never shows an update in real time, it updates enough to know where things are for the most part. If Kyoutani and Oikawa are still moving, then they’re heading straight for the Magic Council in the center of their world.

The Magic Council, who’s figure on the map has also remained unchanged, perfectly intact, and just as menacing as before.

“You’ve proven your point,” Akaashi says suddenly, and Yahaba jumps when he realizes how close he is. “You can put the table away - I’m taking you to see Bokuto.”

Yahaba stares at the beautiful man with broken marks across his body and simply nods, reverting the table back to the portable size. He grabs it quickly, brushing away the red and orange leaves as he does so.

“Where are the others?” Matsukawa asks, and immediately Yahaba turns to look at the thicket of trees. “You had taken Watari with you, and Kindaichi and Kunimi were supposed to meet you in Karasuno.”

“They did,” Yahaba replies, trying to place exactly where he had come from. “They’re all waiting for me and Iwaizumi - we got separated because…”

He doesn’t see a reason to finish that sentence, glancing to Iwaizumi then to see him avoiding his eyes.

“I find them,” Hanamaki nods, gesturing to the group. “We meet later.”

Iwaizumi nods back, brushing past Yahaba and taking Akaashi’s wrist. “Lead the way, _despavare_.” Akaashi doesn’t reply, turning to allow Iwaizumi’s hold to shift so they may link arms as they walk away. Iwaizumi glances back for only a second, and Yahaba gets the feeling he should follow.

Matsukawa and Hanamaki’s footsteps in the leaves move in the other direction, and Yahaba tries not to look back to them as he follows the two leaders. Iwaizumi is speaking in hushed voices to Akaashi, and every now and then, Yahaba catches the words. He doesn’t understand them, and Yahaba wonders why the two had spoken in his language before.

Did they want to make it clear to the Wizards present what was being said? Yahaba couldn’t be too sure; Iwaizumi has been acting strangely since Akaashi first appeared.

It’s… uncomfortable, watching the two of them talk. They’re so close to one another that Yahaba would have assumed that _they_ had claimed one another rather than their respective Wizard kings. But that’s what they had been talking about, wasn’t it? They were supposed to have claimed one another, but things changed when the Magic Council began the experiments.

The experiments that must have torn apart so many tribes…

Yahaba frowns, thinking about every Beast he’s met so far. Within the forest tribe, he’s met their leader and his second, as well as the healer and younger brother of the leader. They seemed fine, perhaps different from what Yahaba had, many months ago, assumed Beasts were like. Iwaizumi had a cruel streak, but he was also hurting after everything, and his tribe… who knows what happened to them exactly. Kunimi and Kindaichi had little to say, and Hanamaki and Matsukawa have not been very clear.

The snow tribe’s leader was also previously captured, the start of all these terrible actions by the Magic Council. Kuroo was strong, and he laughed as though nothing were wrong. His fellow tribe members were captured, and he made sure their named were not forgotten. But the rest of his tribe… Yahaba wasn’t sure where they must be.

Hinata’s tribe, which Yahaba never learned the exact name for them in translation, was just as broken as the rest. His leader was the second Beast caught, and their healer the third. Another one of his tribe members, Yamaguchi, was also under control of the device, though Hinata hadn’t seemed worried for him.

For all these Beasts, it would seem they were all either freed from the control of the device or going to be freed by the Wizards who had them. At this point, Yahaba wouldn’t be surprised if something similar was happening in Shiratorizawa (though Oikawa spoke about that kingdom with distaste, Yahaba was certain they were just like any other Wizarding kingdom).

And now, here is Akaashi. Broken, emotions hidden, and without a tribe to call family. Akaashi, despite saying he had claimed someone, acted as though he had nothing. He spoke with no inflection to his voice, and is expression remained unchanging.

The man is beautiful, but the marks are cracked along his skin and telling a story of tragedy that Yahaba hadn’t truly considered before. Yahaba can only imagine how he looks standing beside a Wizard King renowned for his good nature and powerful magic.

In fact, the magic coming from Akaashi is undeniable. It seems to lack control, and Yahaba looks about to see that the leaves in the distance that are still green seem to be burning at the feel of Akaashi’s approach. The red and orange leaves fall overhead as they pass, and Yahaba is certain the cause is Akaashi’s restless magic.

A powerful Beast capable of magic, claiming and possibly married to one of the strongest Wizards their world has ever known. Yahaba feels a shudder go through him at the thought.

But Akaashi is not so unique. No, now he knows that any Beast is capable of magic. Iwaizumi had displayed his own power when they fought, and Kunimi had healed him. Perhaps Beasts are only capable of what their marks allow. Their magic is kept under wraps, and those without a mark - those like Kyoutani - are not capable of magic.

Akaashi’s mark is shattered like glass on his skin and surely this means that the lack in control is no fault of Akaashi’s, but rather due to his loss.

Still, to display so much power with such a consistent, overwhelming flow and not grow tired… just how powerful can a Beast be when it comes to magic?

Akaashi breaks from Iwaizumi’s side and hurries ahead, the trees thinning out in time for Yahaba to notice the looming sight of the castle in Fukurodani. He gawks at the fractured stone structure and wonders why Oikawa’s map doesn’t show this.

Fukurodani’s castle is made of white stone, contrasting to the black obsidian of Karasuno’s towers. Vines of varying red hues climb the walls, painted glass windows shining in the light of the sun resting high in the sky. The warmth of it all is pleasant to see, but Yahaba feels a shiver at the features he knows aren’t meant to be there.

The castle is crumbling where it stands. Walls for protection are nothing but piles of rocks around the structure, and in the distance Yahaba can see the homes of the high borns, of the villagers who lived close to their king all burned to the ground. In the side of the castle, the front of the building from what Yahaba can tell, there is a dark, shadowed hole with ragged edges where the stone was destroyed.

There were other holes, some having crashed through the golden tiles of the slanted roofs on one or two towers. Crescent moon shapes that looked intentional had additional cracks leading from them in certain parts of the walls, and Yahaba feels the horror settling in his stomach.

“The Magic Council did not appreciate Bokuto freeing Akaashi,” Iwaizumi says to him, and Yahaba blinks at the stinging in his eyes before focusing on him. “Many of the citizens were killed, and those who survived either fled the capital or have taken refuge in the castle. Bokuto’s protection spells stop anyone who is not of Fukurodani’s kingdom from going past this point.”

Yahaba sniffs, not realizing that his nose had begun to run. “I… I see…”

“You want to know about me and Akaashi, don’t you?” Iwaizumi asks, staring up at the broken castle. “I can tell, you were watching us with this look of doubt…”

“What is he to you?” Yahaba murmurs. “You said you loved Oikawa, but…”

“Tooru is my _vashuco_ ,” Iwaizumi answers, nodding to himself, “but I am angry with him… this doesn’t mean I intend to leave him. Even if I wanted to leave him, I couldn’t.” Yahaba stays silent, taking this in. “Akaashi was my intended, in order to bring _hurbasc_ and _pandem_ together.”

“It was for a truce between tribes, then,” Yahaba mumbles, and Iwaizumi nods. “You didn’t love him…”

“I learned to,” Iwaizumi says, but he pauses and sighs. “But no. I never loved Akaashi… not the way I do Tooru.”

Yahaba licks his lips, bobbing his head a moment later as he worked through his thoughts. “Kyou… Kentarou is alive…”

Iwaizumi grunts, scratching at his jaw. “I… it hasn’t really hit me yet…”

“Same here,” Yahaba whispers, taking a deep breath. “You think he still loves me?”

“Of course,” he feels Iwaizumi’s hand land on his shoulder. “You are _faemn_ , Kentarou chose you.”

Yahaba doesn’t know what to say before the rustling of leaves behind them reaches their ears. They both turn, Iwaizumi dropping his hand, and sees their friends approaching. Watari hurries past Hanamaki when he sees them and comes to Yahaba’s side, looking him over in his worry before settling back with a sigh of relief. Yahaba smiles at him, beginning to grow concerned that he’s causing Watari to age beyond his years with all his own worrying he’s been doing.

“Where Akaashi?” Hanamaki asks, and Iwaizumi nods back to the broken castle. The others all look up to it and silence falls over them in their shock.

“He’s getting Bokuto to let us through,” Iwaizumi says, ignoring the shock in their group. “There’s a protection spell stopping us from entering the area.”

“Not to worry, though!” Someone calls, prompting Yahaba to look for the source. He doesn’t have to look for long, a figure suddenly drops from nowhere beside them and shakes the ground. Trying to stay up right, Yahaba gapes at the man and is surprised to see Akaashi cradled at his side, a look of content on his beautiful face. The stranger stands from where he landed solidly and gives the group a toothy grin. “Hello there!”

He’s loud, the energy coming from him intoxicatingly happy. Yahaba fights the smile that threatens to take over his face as he stares up at the man, and it’s hard to not notice just how handsome this other man is. Akaashi moves away once the other has settled on his feet properly, and the light in his eyes is enough to tell Yahaba exactly who this is.

“King Boktuo,” Yahaba breathes, and the man laughs heartily. “You’re…” He shakes his head, disbelieving the whole situation.

Bokuto is everything Yahaba expected and nothing at all like what he was told. He can see where the favoritism of the people came from - Bokuto’s energy is enough to make even the most pessimistic man feel hope again. There’s a wave of magic coming from him that reminds Yahaba of Akaashi, and for a moment he wonders if it’s normal for Wizards in Fukurodani to show off their power like this. Perhaps Akaashi does have control, but he’s spent so much time with Bokuto that he’s started letting his magic out like that.

There’s a strength behind Bokuto’s movements that are just as obvious through his muscular frame. Yahaba finds himself looking back at his biceps more than once, the sleeveless shirt making his limbs extremely distracting. Even more distracting is his strange hair, sticking up in ways Yahaba didn’t think hair could - stiff but somehow perhaps still soft to the touch.

Overall, it’s his eyes that have Yahaba mesmerized. Much like a Beast, King Bokuto’s eyes seem to glow with their golden hue. They’re also large, fairly round, and just as intense as Akaashi’s. The loss is there, but there’s also a hidden power behind them that Yahaba believes strives for the revenge he must feel towards the Magic Council and the betrayal his people faced for a decision he had made.

Despite this intensity, Bokuto grins and the warmth behind it soothes any distress Yahaba could have felt just seeing those eyes. “I’m what?” He asks, and Yahaba had completely forgotten he was saying anything before. Bokuto cocks a brow (or he seems to try to, one of his round eyes half closing when both eyebrows drop and honestly, it’s refreshing to meet someone who can’t do that one eyebrow thing but Bokuto just look ridiculous now) and he huffs a laugh. “I am King Bokuto, I can confirm that! But what were you saying?”

Yahaba shakes his head, feeling speechless. “I… I honestly don’t remember…”

Bokuto’s other eye narrows now and he gives Yahaba a look until Akaashi brushes his (huge, it’s freaking _huge_ in Akaashi’s hand) bicep. “Bokuto, this is Yahaba, Oikawa’s heir,” he murmurs, and Bokuto’s suspicious gaze drops entirely to one of amazement.

“Oh! I heard about you - you’re the reason Seijou was reduced to the same treatment as Fukurodani!” Bokuto exclaims, reaching out and taking Yahaba’s hand for a heavy shake. Yahaba gapes at him, shocked that _this_ is the only way Bokuto knows him. He looks around the group, a frown taking over his expressive features. “Which one of you was supposed to be Akaashi’s _bashuco_?”

Iwaizumi coughs, stepping forward to answer. “That would be me - I’m—”

“Iwaizumi of the Forest Tribe!” Bokuto exclaims, releasing his (crushing, it was honestly so crushing and Yahaba’s hand throbs) hold on Yahaba to grab hold of Iwaizumi’s. “Akaashi said a lot about you!” Bokuto barks a laugh and shakes his head, “but he never said you were so short!”

Iwaizumi’s eye twitches as his arm is violently shook. He looks at Akaashi incredulously, but tries to maintain his composure. “R… right…”

Matsukawa steps forward then, holding his hands up in a calming manner, clearly trying to keep them on track. “King Bokuto, if I may—”

“You’re that prick that did Oikawa’s dirty work, right?” Bokuto asks, letting go of Iwaizumi’s hand - Iwaizumi sends Akaashi another look as he rubs at his knuckles in response - to point a finger at Matsukawa, an inch from his nose. “Konoha warned me about you…”

“I,” Matsukawa stutters, clearing his throat as subtle as he can. “I… suppose I did Oikawa’s… _dirty_ work, though I do have to ask - did you ever receive the supplies we sent with Johzenji all those months ago?”

Bokuto’s dark expression immediately becomes chipper again and he gasps. “That’s right! You’re the one who sent them, right?”

“Certainly,” Matsukawa nods, “anything to help our allies.”

Bokuto laughs, taking Matsukawa’s hand (Yahaba snickers when he notices Matsukawa try to pull away at the last second and fail) to shake it just as heavily as everyone else’s. “Thank you! My people certainly appreciated it!”

Matsukawa chuckles humorlessly, finally able to pull his hand away and rub at the soreness. “Of course…”

“Bokuto,” Akaashi says again, drawing the attention of the eccentric king, “they need to learn about the _Ninrel_ Ruins, _bashuco_.”

It takes a second, but Bokuto brightens and nods down at Akaashi. “You’re right! What would I do without you, love?”

“Perish,” Akaashi simply says, voice completely serious, but Bokuto still laughs before snapping both hands.

Yahaba may not have noticed the change if he hadn’t looked away from the odd couple; one moment, they were standing at the edge of the autumn forest, and the next they were standing in the middle of a stone room with high windows and similar vines that scattered along the castle they’d been looking at hanging from the ceiling. Turning, Yahaba sees the designs of golden images etched into the stone, a story surely being depicted around them.

“This is the Story of _Ninrel_ ,” Bokuto says, his voice echoing within the chamber, “a sacred legend in the Lands of Autumn, passed down for centuries… every king of Fukurodani knows it, as well as the spell that tells the story about how one might locate _Ninrel_.”

“ _Ninrel_ being my tribe’s word for the Western Element of Earth,” Akaashi explains, his voice carrying in the echos as well. “You were calling it _Minle_.”

Yahaba is surprised, turning to stare at the king and his Beast lover. “Your people… your people _know_ this story? In Seijou, we don’t—”

Bokuto scoffs, smirking as he crosses his arms. “Seijou has lost their history over the years, but even Oikawa knew the stories, kid.”

Yahaba gawks at him, but he cannot find it in himself to argue. It’s true, Oikawa did know plenty of legends, and sometimes he tried to teach Yahaba the stories. But Yahaba had brushed them aside, as if they were fairy tales and unimportant to his lessons. Watari pats his back, surprising Yahaba at his presence. Looking around, he finds that his entire group is there, gaping up at the golden murals in the damp stone room.

He immediately turns back to Bokuto. “ _How_ did you do _that_?!”

“Do what?” Bokuto asks, clearly confused.

“You just,” Yahaba scrambles to find the words, settling for snapping his fingers. “And we were all suddenly brought here! Even King Kozume had to have everyone touching in some way to teleport so many people, but you just…!”

Bokuto watches Yahaba frantically try to find the words and blinks slowly twice before laughing his booming laugh. “It’s snap magic!”

“That’s not a real thing,” Konoha says, and Yahaba jumps when he sees the Hand of Fukurodani’s King there. Was he with them before? Yahaba couldn’t remember. “Why am I here, Bokuto? You don’t need me to help tell the story of _Ninrel_ for these people to locate it… and here I thought, ‘oh a lovely evening in my room without any annoying kings? How wonderful!’ But,” he sighs, scratching his jaw and smiling a little despite himself, “here I am anyway…”

Bokuto is staring at Konoha, too. “How… did you _get_ here, Konoha…?”

Akaashi sighs, “you brought him here with your ‘snap magic,’ _bashuco_...”

“... I did…?”

Konoha smacks his forehead, “I’m leaving…”

Bokuto squawks a strange sound, looking as though he’s about to stop Konoha when the man disappears with a wave of his hand. Bokuto frowns, and Yahaba is amused to see that his spiked hair seems to flatten in response to his sadness.

“King Bokuto,” Yahaba starts, earning himself the most pitiful questioning look he’s ever seen, “how… how did you free Akaashi with one spell? The device is so… _complex_ , but you did it in one go!”

Bokuto seems to deflate at the question, and Yahaba grows worried he asks the wrong thing at the wrong time. Akaashi pats at Bokuto’s shoulder when Matsukawa begins to laugh.

“What funny?” Hanamaki asks him, and Matsukawa grins at him.

“King Bokuto is all powerful, but he’s well known for having no clue on how his magic works,” Matsukawa explains, shaking his head. “Well… he’s known among the royal councils for being clueless in how his magic works.”

Bokuto scowls, pointing at Matsukawa again with the same dark expression. “Hey, hey, _hey_! At least _I’m_ not well known for being a _snake_!”

Matsukawa glares in return, “I can assure you, I’m nothing like the Nohebi Islanders, you incompetent fool…”

Before Bokuto can retort, Kindaichi is rushing to stand before his mentor to keep the peace. “O _kay_ , I think that’s enough!” He looks back to Matsukawa, who nods and stands down from the challenge Bokuto seemed to rising to. Kindaichi looks back to Bokuto and holds out a hand. “Please, your majesty, tell us the story; we don’t have a lot of time.”

Bokuto’s jaw works for a moment, considering the request and glancing to Akaashi for his own input. Akaashi nods once and Bokuto sighs, raising his hand towards the golden mural.

Everyone goes silent and looks to the mural, waiting for something to happen. When nothing does, Yahaba looks back to Bokuto to see his eye twitch once. He turns to Akaashi, clearly lost. Akaashi sighs, mumbling to him “try your snap magic” before Bokuto brightens again. He focuses back on the mural and snaps his fingers.

Yahaba doesn’t think it’s done anything for the first few seconds, but then suddenly there’s a light coming down from above and he slowly turns to stare at the golden mural, the shapes glistening in their own light as they move.

“ _Long ago, when our planet was naught but a speckle of stardust held in the kiss of Sun and Moon, an idea burst forth into existence_ ,” Bokuto begins, voice sounding distance and eyes glowing with the same golden light as the mural. Yahaba isn’t sure what to watch; the change in Bokuto’s body language or the moving images above. He settles for watching the great king, captivated by the sight. “ _Four beings came to assist, helping to form together that speckle to become the home of this idea - the idea of a world where Sun and Moon could love unconditionally._

 _“_ Ninrel _, the Western Element of Earth, gave the foundation for home._ Len _, the Northern Element of Water, gave sustenance to the home for the mortals to thrive._ Vute _, the Southern Element of Fire, gave warmth to a planet so cold. And_ Chen _, the Eastern Element of Wind, gave lands the freedom to breathe and grow_.”

Yahaba’s gaze is brought to the murals as the images show a planet forming, the elements all represented in the same way that he’d found on the statues so far. With the completed orb of what was meant to be their home planet, Yahaba watches the images shift to show the separation of Sun and Moon (or what he assumes to be Sun and Moon) from their kiss of love.

 _”Sun and Moon were grateful for the assistance of the new world and were able to complete their expression of love through the creation of their children - Wizard and_ Komshae _. Together, they were able to bring the children to life and watch over them for many seasons with help from the Cardinal Elements._

 _“The Wizards and_ Komshae _of the West had taken a liking to their own Cardinal Element, and worked to create shrines to honor_ Ninrel _in the hopes that it would teach them it’s ways. And teach them it did_.”

The images turn to show temples and other such structures being built by the small figures that Yahaba guesses are to represent people. The symbol of the Earth element comes over the people figures and the golden shapes shift as though the people are imitating Earth.

“ _The Wizards and_ Komshae _were quick to learn the Element’s tricks, becoming masters after a few generations. Eventually, the Element was no longer needed, pride swelling within that their being at having taught such kind creatures. With the love and honor given to_ Ninrel, _the Western Element of Earth took refuge in one of the temples built by the people - the tallest structure, in the deepest valley, protected by_ Vorce _._

 _“The Western Element wants nothing more than to rest with the foundation it built, but there comes a time when all good must wake to the call of what is needed._ Ninrel _waits in their home, awaiting the day Sun and Moon’s children come for another lesson_.”

The light dies on the image of a large temple, the Earth symbol seeming to sleep within it. Bokuto’s eyes return to normal and he looks out at the group who stares at him in silence. “I know where to find _Ninrel_ ; who has the map Akaashi told me about?”

Yahaba hesitates before Watari pushes him forward, digging out the table to show it to Bokuto. With the table enlarged, Bokuto scans it quickly, barely giving mind to the dark cloud of doom over Seijou before pointing to Yahaba’s figure of Earth.

“This is where you think it is?” He asks and Yahaba nods. Bokuto nods back, “you’re close, but not quite.” He reaches out and grabs the figure, pulling it from the map and settling it down a few miles from the original location. “This is where you’re going to find _Ninrel_.”


	37. Sweet Dreams

“The temple of _Ninrel_ is easy to miss, but if you know what you’re looking for, you will find it,” Bokuto had said, nodding assuredly. 

Yahaba had waited for more, but it was clear Bokuto had nothing else to say. “So… what am I looking for?”

Bokuto stared back at him and shrugged. “I don’t know, I’ve never gone looking for _Ninrel_.”

Yahaba had smacked his forehead, behind him he heard Iwaizumi ask Akashi what he even saw in the great king. There was a fondness in Akaashi’s otherwise monotone voice when he answered “he makes me laugh…”

A branch smacks Yahaba in the face now, exactly the same place as his hand hours ago before they left Fukurodani’s castle. He groans, rubbing the sore spot before looking back to his companions. “He couldn’t just, oh I don’t know, come along after giving such vague instructions?!”

Matsukawa sighs as if he’s heard this complaint a thousand times. “He’s the king of a dying kingdom, he can’t _just_ come along on a quest he has no part in.”

“What’s left of his kingdom will be dead if we _don’t_ complete this quest!” Yahaba shouts, turning back to the beaten path and pushing his way through the trees.

“Well, aren’t you the most motivating person ever,” Matsukawa scoffs, Hanamaki snorting a laugh. Yahaba rolls his eyes - he’s pretty sure Hanamaki doesn’t really know what Matsukawa said and just laughed because it’s Matsukawa. “Should I even mention that the Magic Council showed up, or is that of no concern to you?”

Yahaba grits his teeth. Matsukawa isn’t wrong, Lords Yamiji and Washijo did in fact show up on the borders of Fukurodani’s castle, just outside of Bokuto’s walls. It was obvious that Lord Washijo had found a counter spell to Bokuto’s barriers, waves of various colored lights sending out shockwaves from where Washijo held his hands out. Bokuto had urged Yahaba and his group to sneak away and find Earth without them - he and his Top Tiers would handle Washijo.

“What about Lord Yamiji?” Matsukawa had asked, and Bokuto flinched in response.

“... I’ll handle Yamiji,” Bokuto muttered, his voice dark and ominous. Yahaba grew worried at the brief memory; Oikawa had been close to Seijou’s Magic Council Member, Lord Irihata. How close was Bokuto to Lord Yamiji before Fukurodani’s fall?

How broken was Bokuto after Yamiji chose the council over his kingdom?

He shakes his head, trying not to think about it. Running from the castle had been easy, the only sound coming from the break in the barrier from Washjio’s counter spell. It’s been hours of going in one direction, stopping only to look at the map and ensure they’re figures were still moving towards where Bokuto had placed the figurine of Earth. Glancing back to where they came from, Yahaba doesn’t want to even imagine what the smoke in the sky could mean.

The group continues on, everyone focusing on looking for the temple that surely would stick out like a sore thumb. Yahaba assumes _Minle_ \- or _Ninrel_ , as those in the Lands of Autumn calls it - would make its home in the temples Bokuto’s story mentioned. If knowing the story helps at all, Yahaba doesn’t think it would take this long.

They’re crossing a bridge over a river that doesn’t show on the map when Yahaba stops to pull at his hair. “This is getting to be impossible! Where is the stupid thing?!”

Watari puts a gentle hand on Yahaba’s shoulder and smiles softly. “We’ll find it, Yahaba; we just have to keep going where the map says.”

“But the map feels like it’s moving further and further away!” Yahaba yells, turning to hold Watari by his shoulders and shaking him. “If _Shen_ tries to cut you up with high winds, and _Lome_ tries to drown you with your mistakes, does fucking _Minle_ try to _drive you insane_!?”

“Huh… what do you guys think Fire does?” Kindaichi asks, making everyone look at him. He stares back before shrugging. “It’s a legitimate question!”

“Maybe we should split up,” Iwaizumi suggests, rubbing his neck and looking bored. “Cover more ground doing that.”

“But what about the terror vines?” Watari sounds uncertain, shaking his head. “We should stick together - terror vines can’t take all of us, and _Shen_ said _Minle_ would be protected by them.”

Matsukawa clicks his tongue, considering his words. “True, but terror vines aren’t so bad as long as you don’t let them catch you.”

“Terror… vines?” Hanamaki tries the words out, looking confused.

“ _Borce_ ,” Iwaizumi and Kunimi answer him, allowing Hanamaki to light up in understanding.

“ _Borce_ bad, we stay together,” Hanamaki nods, looking around at the group.

Matsukawa gives him a look. “Makki, we really don’t—”

“ _Oh my Gods_ shut up!” Yahaba shouts, turning to walk the rest of the way off the bridge. “Just find the stupid temple!”

It takes a while, but eventually Yahaba hears the group quietly follow him. No one says anything else, which is fine, Yahaba can’t take their voices any longer. So much has happened since entering the Lands of Autumn, and Yahaba has yet to properly process it all, even during the last few hours of wandering around the forest of red and orange trees.

Fukurodani has been reduced to nothing but a broken castle. Their king, a strong and overly powered man, had the attention span of a child. The leader of the Red Leaves Beast tribe, now extinct, is stoic and apparently broken. The two are in love, but the Beast leader was meant to claim Iwaizumi. Iwaizumi, in turn, had instead claimed Yahaba’s king, who is alive. Alive and heading for them.

Heading for them with Kyoutani in tow. Who is also alive.

Yahaba feels his chest ache at the thought. He wants nothing more than to hurry and meet Kyoutani half way, but now is not the time. They are so close to getting the Western Element of Earth, and with the Magic Council knocking down Fukurodani’s doors, Yahaba can’t waste anymore time.

If only they could find the stupid _mother fucking temple_ that the element holed itself into!

He’s so frustrated that Yahaba doesn’t see where he steps next, and the dirt beneath his foot gives way before he’s stumbling down a slight hill, his body crashing into the roots of the trees along the way. He hears Watari and Iwaizumi shout his name, the others shouting other things in surprise, but Yahaba can’t get a grip on anything before he comes to a stop against the trunk of a tree.

Groaning, Yahaba pushes himself up and rubs are his sore body, shaking his head. The others skid down to him, Watari and Kindaichi hurrying to his side to check over him for any wounds. They must not find anything, because they help Yahaba up to his feet and brush the dirt from his shoulders.

“This fucking sucks,” Yahaba grumbles, patting his pants. The other four are staring past him at something, and from the looks on their faces, Yahaba can tell they must have found it.

Rounding the tree, the group rushes through to the clearing and stop when they come upon the roof of the temple. Yahaba’s jaw drops and he stops himself before he can tumble down into the ditch.

“It’s…” Kindaichi starts, sounding to be in disbelief.

Kunimi is shaking his head. “It’s practically underground…”

What the other’s had seen after Yahaba’s fall was only the tip of the temple’s structure, perhaps jutting about five feet from the opening in the ground. The rest of the temple rests in the center of what can only be described as a pit, the stone structure covered in golden cracks and vines as red as the trees around them. The entrance is impossible to be seen, the temple pressing up into the walls of the hole and Yahaba is trying to figure out how this structure was built.

“They buried it,” Matsukawa murmurs, completely in awe. “Bokuto’s story… he said they learned from _Ninrel_ \- Earth Magic originated in the West… they used that magic to bury their temples…”

“All of them?” Iwaizumi asks, eyes scanning the immediately area to see if there may be a way down. “How do we know this is the right one?”

Yahaba pulls the map out and turns to rest it on stable ground, enlarging it to see where they stood. The figures that represents Yahaba and his friends is standing pressed against the figurine of Earth, and he nods. “We’re here…”

Matsukawa grunts, nodding to Yahaba to put the map away. “Terror vines are black, not red - we can use those red vines to get down.”

“And if we see black vines?” Kindaichi asks, earning a look from his old teacher.

“Don’t touch them.”

Everyone hesitates, looking around at each other before Iwaizumi heaves a sigh. “I guess I’ll go first if no one else is volunteering…”

“ _Vot, despavare_!” Hanamaki cheers, grinning at his leader. Iwaizumi rolls his eyes, taking a step back and eyeing the distance between the drop and the highest point of the temple.

He takes a deep breath before taking off, jumping at the last second to get to the roof. Iwaizumi lands towards the tip of the stone roof, sliding a few feet before he can get a grip on the red vines. When He stops sliding, Yahaba releases the hold he had on his breath in relief.

“Come on, you cowards!” Iwaizumi shouts, beginning to climb his way down the red vines. Hanamaki doesn’t hesitate to follow, Matsukawa soon following after. Watari and Yahaba share and look before jumping together, Kindaichi and Kunimi bringing up the rear.

Yahaba can feel the uneven cut of the stone under his boots as he slides, his fingers burning as he tries to grip the vines and pull them into his hands to keep from falling further. His heart is racing, body jerking a little from the sudden stop and pulling at his shoulder. Groaning, Yahaba winces and looks around himself, ensuring he was safe as well as everyone else.

No one says anything as they follow Iwaizumi’s lead down into the pit, the lack of light immediately consuming them in the shadows until there is nothing.

Yahaba tries to control his panic at being unable to see long enough to make it to where his feet finds purchase on solid ground, holding himself close to the wall until someone ignites a fire. Looking to his left, he finds Matsukawa watching him, Iwaizumi close to the glow of Matsukawa’s flame. Hanamaki jumps the rest of the way once he sees the ground, grinning at the other two who smile in return.

Not seeing the other three just yet, Yahaba looks up to see if they were still climbing down just in time to see Watari jump down as well. “So, how are we getting in?”

Kindaichi and Kunimi also choose to jump the last few feet, grunting on impact as they look around. Deciding they need more light, Watari creates his own flame and looks down the way to Yahaba’s right, frowning to himself.

“Something here!” Hanamaki calls, and they all turn to follow him.

It’s still not easy to see much, but the golden cracks in the stone seem to be twisting and turning into symbols like the ones where they heard _Ninrel’s_ story, a large pillar jutting out from the wall of the temple before they find the entrance.

Yahaba wrinkles his nose, the damp entrance holding a musky smell on top of grime and dirt. It’s just as dark within the temple as it is outside, but they’ve come so far already, he sees no reason to hesitate.

Yahaba and Watari walk ahead of the group, looking around the halls of the temple with curiosity. Just like within Fukurodani’s castle, the story of _Ninrel_ is detailed into the wall with glinting gold, red vines hanging from the ceiling as they walk. Yahaba keeps an eye on the vines, ensuring none were black in color as they walked through the temple.

“Anyone else thinking this is too easy?” Kindaichi asks, receiving a round of agreements and general grunts.

“Now that you said it though, we’re all going to die,” Matsukawa snorts, scratching at his cheek.

Yahaba feels a tingle in his arm as well, reaching over to scratch over the top of his glove gently.

No one has a response to Matsukawa’s morbid joke, not even Hanamaki who, by this point, would normally be snorting with laughter.

Their footsteps echo through the halls, and Yahaba hears a change in the echo up ahead. He slows, glancing to Watari to see if he notices it as well. He seems to, slowing with Yahaba and sending him a look as well. The others come to a stop behind them when they do, looking between one another with a question in their eyes.

The tunnel has come to an opening, and beyond it is pitch black darkness.

Taking a deep, calming breath, Yahaba decides to throw caution to the wind and hurries forward, spurring the others on behind him. The second they cross their way into the darkness, the large open area illuminates in a golden glow.

This room is practically empty, a podium in the center holding the statue they’re looking for. Yahaba gapes at it in surprise, and Kindaichi’s words of it being too easy come back to him. The other seems to feel the same, all shuffling on their feet as they look about the room for any traps.

A voice suddenly speaks out to them. “ _Shigeru… I have been waiting_...”

Yahaba is too shocked to move, the statue glinting under the golden light before he feels the building begin to tremble and shake. Surprised, everyone looks around even more frantically than before until the rush of being pushed up has them all trying to keep from falling to their knees.

It’s almost painful, the rush of the rise, but once it stops, Yahaba can still feel the vibrations through his body. His arm feels just as itchy as before, and his legs a burning with the same feeling now as well, but he doesn’t have time to worry about it. There’s a clunking sound coming from around the room, the light of the sun breaking through the windows that form within the ceiling, stones falling seemingly at random, and Yahaba feels his jaw drop at the full sight of the main room.

When it all completely stops, Yahaba focuses back on the podium and the statue of the Western Element of Earth. Nothing happens for a moment, but then the podium is shaking as though it’s trying to move. Before he can react, the stone podium shoots across the room from the center to his side, the others shouting in surprise.

Yahaba flinches at the fastly approaching statue until the sound of the earth shifting stops and he slowly looks back. _Minle_ is sitting in silence, almost like as if it is staring up at Yahaba.

Cautiously, Yahaba reaches out to touch the statue. When nothing happens, Yahaba takes _Minle_ into his hands and lifts, the weight much heavier compared to the other two elements in his possession. Gulping, Yahaba waits a few more minutes for anything to happen until he’s certain all is well. Turning to the others, Yahaba takes a moment to assess their shock.

Iwaizumi and Hanamaki have similar smirks on their faces, clearly pleased. Kunimi’s own face doesn’t betray much, but it’s clear he is satisfied. Kindaichi is trying to smile, but there’s a worry in his eyes that’s mirrored in Watari’s face. Even Matsukawa is giving the statue a weary look, clearly not trusting this.

“What was that about this being too easy?” Yahaba asks Kindaichi, the attempted smile falling completely to really display his unease.

“We should get out of here,” Matsukawa suggests, looking around the temple’s room once more, trying to find anything out of place. “We don’t want the terror vines to come…”

Everyone nods and hurries back the way they came, running now that the temple has become illuminated with the light of the sun through the newly made windows. They make it out in record time, panting a bit from the exertion. Yahaba looks down at _Minle_ , brow furrowing in momentary confusion before he shrinks it down, depositing it into his bag.

“We should return to Fukurodani,” Iwaizumi calls, already making his way towards the castle. Yahaba watches him, scratching at his ear. “We can help send the Magic Council away.”

With no arguments from the group, they all take off and hurry through the red leafed forest. Surprisingly, just as it took little to no time to get out of the temple, the sight of the castle comes into view much sooner than any of them had anticipated.

Scratching his shoulder, Yahaba frowns when no one else seems to notice this. There isn’t even a plume of smoke coming from the castle like Yahaba had expected, in fact…

“Where are the holes?” Yahaba asks, looking to Watari.

Watari gives him a look. “What are you talking about?”

Yahaba looks back, the castle’s impeccable state from a second ago replaced with the wreckage they originally came upon. “Oh…”

They don’t even make it to the castle doors before they’re being thrown open with a flourish, and everyone stops when they see who it is.

“Wonderful!” Oikawa shouts, making his way down the white stone steps of the castle towards them with a devil-may-care grin. He’s dressed in his finest robes, and Yahaba gawks at how well put together the king looks. “I was beginning to wonder how long it would take you all!”

Iwaizumi growls. “You fucking—”

“My love!” Oikawa cheers, rushing over much faster and taking Iwaizumi’s hands into his own. “Oh, my sweet Hajime! I’m so sorry for—”

Iwaizumi punches him. “Shut the _fuck up_! You - You fucking…!”

Oikawa’s rubbing his cheek and pouting. “Mean, Iwa-chan! Iwa-chan is mean!”

Yahaba watches with the rest as Iwaizumi starts shouting obscenities at Oikawa, his words devolving into his own language before turning to sobs. He’s pushing at Oikawa the whole time until he simply falls to his knees and cries at Oikawa’s feet. Oikawa is watching as well, silent through the whole spectacle. It takes a few seconds, but eventually Oikawa kneels and takes Iwaizumi into his arms, and Yahaba immediately feels he needs to leave.

“Yahaba?” Another voice calls, and Yahaba all but freezes at the sound. His heart is racing, his body flaring up in a heated happiness, the burn for needing to scratch even more apparent on his limbs. Yahaba ignores it all to turn towards the source and finds exactly who his heart cries out for.

“Kyoutani…” It’s good to say, his body becoming light before he’s suddenly running, tackling the other man and feeling the world fall away.

Kyoutani’s lips are on his in an instant, warm and inviting. His body shifts to tell of his desire as he holds Yahaba close, the grip of his hands desperate, and the move of his lips against Yahaba’s are apologising for things beyond either of their control. Yahaba’s pretty sure he’s crying, the taste of salt mixing between their lips. He doesn’t care.

He finally has Kyoutani with him again.

The sound of a wave crashes, and Yahaba breaks away to stare at him. Kyoutani’s face is different - for a second, he thinks this is Iwaizumi. But no - no, it’s still Kyoutani. But the mark’s are Iwaizumi’s, the red shapes that denote a tribe leader curling around Kyoutani’s features, darting down his neck and shoulders, covering his arms. It’s shocking, and Yahaba feels his mouth go dry.

“You…”

“I want you, Yahaba,” Kyoutani says, his voice husky with the same desire as before. Yahaba looks down, finding the dress robes from his coronation on his body. There’s a burning on his scalp he desperately needs to scratch, but his mind is numb to the feeling. “Marry me, _vashuco_ ,” Kyoutani continues, the words spoken in such a sultry way that Yahaba feels his face burn.

“I… I don’t understand…”

Kyoutani is holding out a necklace, one just like what Oikawa and Iwaizumi had exchanged, and Yahaba’s head is spinning. Another wave is crashing beside them and Yahaba turns to find that they’re standing on a cliff beside the ocean near Seijou’s kingdom. The sun is rising over the horizon, and Yahaba can’t piece together what day it even is.

“How did we…?”

Kyoutani reaches up to bring Yahaba’s focus to him again. “We’re getting married, Shigeru - don’t you remember?”

Yahaba’s mouth is dry, his heart pounding. “But… Hollow Body Phantom… we need to—”

“Oh hush, boy,” another is saying and Yahaba feels his blood run cold. He turns to his other side and finds Lord Washijo glaring down at him. There's something... _off_ about him. “The world is ending, just marry the _despavare_ of the forest tribe and die.”

He can’t move, too shocked to do anything as he looks at the odd sight Washijo makes. “I… I don’t…!”

“Shigeru,” Kyoutani calls again, voice gentle. “You understand.”

Yahaba shakes his head. “I - I don’t…!”

“You understand,” Kyoutani says again, his voice dropping the sweetness as he glares at him. “Yahaba, it burns.”

It’s true, his arms do burn. It’s like acid eating away at his flesh. Yahaba grabs Kyoutani’s shoulders, looking desperately into his eyes. “I - Kyoutani, please, I…!”

“It burns, Yahaba,” Kyoutani snarls, breathing heavily, “you know what this is…!”

He does. “Terror vines…”

“Wake up!” Kyoutani yells, and Yahaba gasps.

Jolting up, Yahaba feels the pull of a rope around his neck that burns. Someone is growling over him, a warmth hovering just over his skin. It’s a fire, Yahaba can see that much, but the hand that holds it is both so familiar and strange all the same. He follows the arm to see who it is, and Yahaba gapes up at him. 

“Ky… Kyoutani,” he manages to gasp, the vines burning and eating away at his flesh beginning to break from the fire Kyoutani holds.

Kyoutani’s desperate eyes look into his. “Yahaba,” he says back, a growl to his voice. “You awake.”

“Hurry it up over there, KyouKen-chan!” Someone’s voice calls, echoing through the chambers of the temple. “We need to get them out of here!”

Yahaba is panting through the pain, reaching out to try to conjure his own flame. It eventually ignites, the flames burning away at the vines that hold him down. Kyoutani pulls him up, holding him gently before holding out his hand and burning the vines on the ground.

“You,” Yahaba mumbles, staring up at Kyoutani, “you can use magic…?”

Kyoutani doesn’t meet his eyes. “Help others, we leave.”

“But we need to get Earth!” Yahaba says, holding his head and groaning. “I… I think…?”

“We already got it, Yahaba!” Oikawa calls, not looking up from where he’s burning away the vines on the others. “When we got to Fukurodani, Bokuto and that Beast of his were standing over a captures Yamiji. They told us where you went and we immediately followed.”

Yahaba slowly nods. “I… I see…”

Kyoutani is holding his arm, looking down at the burns along Yahaba’s skin. “ _Borce_ bad…”

Yahaba nods again. “Very bad,” he agrees, slightly out of breath, “but the sweetest of dreams until you realize what’s happening…”

This earns him a questioning look, but Yahaba doesn’t care anymore. He pulls Kyoutani in, kissing him as sweetly as the dream had allowed.

Only this time, he’s certain it’s real when Kyoutani kisses him back.


	38. Claim

He still felt woozy, the after effects of the dream still holding him down. Yahaba rubs his head, leaning against the wall outside of the temple. There are birds chirping in the distance, and for a moment, Yahaba isn’t sure what had actually happened.

“They caught us while we were climbing down the red vines,” Matsukawa’s voice reaches him, echoing through the hall. Yahaba listens to him explain how the terror vines latched onto them in the shadows of the pit before pulling everyone in to feast on their flesh, but he focuses on who’s with him.

Oikawa is nodding along, helping Matsukawa carry Hanamaki out of the temple. He’s not dressed as nicely as Yahaba’s dream made him out to be - in fact, if it weren’t for Oikawa’s clean cut appearance, Yahaba would have thought him a peasant with the rags he wore.

With Earth in their possession, Oikawa had raised the temple to allow an easy exit. Being that Iwaizumi and Hanamaki were among the first captured, the two were badly injured. Iwaizumi sat against the trees just outside the temple, Kunimi tending to his wounds quietly as he glared over at their savior.

Matsukawa was the last to be captured by the terror vines it would seem, the acid burns along his skin not nearly as bad as everyone else’s. It seems that Kunimi and Kindaichi were also able to push away the visions the vines would influence long enough to save themselves, but Kindaichi’s neck is raw and looks aching while Kunimi’s wrists seem to have him shaking.

Watari hasn’t met Yahaba’s eyes since Kyoutani helped the two of them out, and Kyoutani himself seems to be having a hard time meeting anyone’s gaze. Yahaba watches him now, focusing on the smooth, black metal that’s still embedded into his neck.

Yahaba can’t say he’s disappointed it’s still there; Kyoutani had no reason to find someone to remove the device. It had been a silly thing to wonder about after their kiss, before he could get a good look at Kyoutani’s neck. Did he still have it? Are these actions true, or merely appear to be true?

Is it all still some kind of illusion that Kyoutani is actually free?

Silence comes over the group then and Yahaba looks to see what everyone is doing. To his shock, they’re all staring at Oikawa as he approaches Iwaizumi. Yahaba gulps, uncertain of what will happen.

The sky is warm with orange hues, telling him the sun is beginning to set. The air is sweet with a maple scent, and the breeze is warm enough it shouldn’t bother them. But the tension is thick, and the silence only amplifies the sound of his beating heart.

This isn’t going to end well.

“Iwa—”

A gut wrenching scream interrupts him. Oikawa’s on his back in and instant, Iwaizumi straddling him before he slams his fist down into Oikawa’s face. No one moves, watching as Iwaizumi throws another punch, then a third.

The fourth is stopped by Oikawa, who’s finally found the composure to fight back. The others continue to watch, a silent agreement among the group that Oikawa and Iwaizumi need to handle this without interruption. For a brief moment, Yahaba considers it to be a bad idea - Iwaizumi said he would kill Oikawa when he saw him next.

The struggle goes on for a while, the two leaders wrestling on the ground, a constant back and forth of who gains the upper hand. Yahaba finds it odd that neither move to use magic, but he’s certain this would end much sooner and with a fatality if they were to resort to their inner power.

Who the fatality would be, Yahaba isn’t sure.

Finally, just as deep blue hues begin to take hold of the sky and the sun is harder to see over the trees, Iwaizumi pins Oikawa for the thousandth time, holding him down into the grass.

“You…!” Iwaizumi finally snarls, panting heavily. There’s blood dripping from his nose, but Oikawa looks just as bad as he struggles under Iwaizumi’s hold. “You _fucking bastard_! I _love you, Tooru_! But you just—!” He chokes a bit on his breathing, tears building in his eyes as he glares down at Oikawa. “You _betrayed me_!”

Oikawa grunts against the hold on him, shaking his head. “I never meant to hurt—”

“— _Hurt_?! You think you _hurt_ me?!” Iwaizumi spits, and it’s apparent his mouth is bleeding a little too. “Tooru, I felt like I was _burned alongside you_!” He’s trying to catch his breath, stumbling over his words that have shocked Oikawa enough to stop his struggling. “And the moment I found out - found out th-that you were _alive the whole fucking time_?!” Iwaizumi’s sobs catch in his throat and he shakes his head. “It was like - like the world had broken into pieces!

“After watching you burn, it was like… like everything suddenly became _shapes_ , insignificant shapes and blurs.” Iwaizumi’s voice drops to a whisper, and Yahaba feels his pulse quicken at his words. Oikawa isn’t moving, just gaping up at Iwaizumi. With a shaking breath, Iwaizumi continues, “j-just things…. things that were there but not truly there… it was hard to breathe, and I only knew I was if I was screaming…” He’s shaking now, eyes distant as he recalls this. “If there was a pain in my throat, it was enough to tell me I was still here despite feeling insignificant. That anything I did wouldn’t matter, but still held some weight in my chest…

“Tooru, it was all shapes and scripted lines, and I found _comfort_ in them after some time. I grew to understand my world as there fragments and accepted that despite feeling dead, I was very much alive.” Iwaizumi’s far away look suddenly hardens, “until I was told _you_ were alive, and then everything was burning again.” Iwaizumi scowls, turning his focus back onto Oikawa. “ _Fisata, vashuco_ , the very moment I realized it was when all the shapes shattered to tiny pieces and my _heart_ felt like it was being ripped from my chest through my _mouth_ , tearing up my throat and ripping apart my lungs,” he stops to breathe heavily, the sound ragged and so broken on his sobs.

Iwaizumi gulps, shaking his head. “I have _nothing_ left to feel for you,” he snarls through his clenched teeth, and Oikawa’s face drains of color. “ _Nuract frushe_ , oh Grand Wizard King.”

He reaches up to where the chain of his necklace pokes from under his ruined clothes, and with one quick pull, Iwaizumi breaks the necklace from around his neck. Holding Oikawa’s gaze, Iwaizumi shows him the glistening gem of their marriage, letting it swing just above Oikawa’s face before grabbing hold of it and throwing it as hard as he can into the side of the temple. The sound of it shattering carries, birds suddenly flying away in surprise.

Iwaizumi is panting, rubbing his nose and face against his forearm while glaring at the place the gem broke. He takes a moment to compose himself before looking back down at Oikawa. There’s a split second of regret in his eyes before he pushes himself to stand, feet on either side of Oikawa as he continues to lie in petrified silence. No one moves to follow Iwaizumi once he turns and leaves without another word.

For a moment, Yahaba can only hear the sound of the red leaves rustling, his own heart racing to a point that his pulse pounds within his skull. Oikawa doesn’t appear to be breathing, but he eventually pushes himself up, only to hunch over into his knees he pulls to his chest. Matsukawa moves towards him, but Hanamaki stops him and shakes his head. Silently, the two leave, Hanamaki leaning against him as they hobble back to Fukurodani. Kunimi stands to pull Kindaichi along by his hand, the latter looking between the healer and the distressed king. Watari fidgets, watching Oikawa with pity before sighing and following after the other two. He spares a look back to Yahaba, and he can tell Watari doesn’t expect him to follow.

Yahaba hesitates, uncertain of what to do. He looks to Kyoutani, surprised to find him already looking back at Yahaba. They stare at one another for a moment until Kyoutani nods his head in Oikawa’s direction. Licking his lips, Yahaba nods, reaching out to take Kyoutani’s hand.

Kyoutani seems surprised at first, but he pushes his hand further into Yahaba’s hold and squeezes once. Yahaba returns the pressure before letting go, and he watches Kyoutani slowly begin to leave the area, towards the direction Iwaizumi had gone.

The silence between Yahaba and Oikawa is thick, but once he begins to approach his former teacher, he can hear it. It’s soft, barely registering over the pounding of Yahaba’s racing heart, but Oikawa’s breathing is quick. Too fast to be normal, and shaking on every inhale.

Yahaba’s hand reaches out for Oikawa’s shoulder and the second he touches him, Yahaba knows it was a mistake. Oikawa snaps around, movements swift and magic strong as he blasts Yahaba away from him. He’s gasping - _hyperventilating_ as he stares at Yahaba.

“ _Don’t_ give me your _Goddamned pity_ ,” Oikawa manages, voice strained as he tries to speak around the short breaths. “ _Leave_.”

There’s a storm in Oikawa’s eyes, the air about him shifting to match this and sending thundering waves of threatening magic to Yahaba’s core. He shivers at the feeling, backing away slowly.

“Oikawa, I don’t pity—”

“ _LEAVE_!” Oikawa shouts, sending another blast at Yahaba.

He’s able to block it this time, his own wind magic countering it and pushing the high speed gust away. Yahaba stares at Oikawa, his jaw slack, while the other coughs and chokes on his breathing. He wants nothing more than to go over and knock some sense into him, to help Oikawa through his breathing, to comfort him and tell him _he’s_ glad to have found Oikawa alive rather than dead.

But he doesn't. He can’t, not with Oikawa lashing out and trying not to sob. He’s trying not to break down, but Yahaba can see it’s not working. His king is trembling with the need to shatter but holding it back. In his scuffle, Yahaba can see that Oikawa’s own marriage necklace still hangs about his neck, only the light is gone. Shattering its twin must have destroyed the magic that bound them together.

Yahaba looks to where the gem had been broken and can see the ruby colored shards on the dirt and in the grass outside the temple. With a wary eye on Oikawa, Yahaba moves to the shards and grabs as many as he can find. Taking a calming breath, Yahaba focuses on the gem’s pieces and tries to restore it to what it once was.

He feels the shift of the shards within his hands, but once the spell is complete, Yahaba can see some pieces are missing. Still, with it mostly restored, the gem begins to blink with the magic again - not quite as bright or whole, but there once more. Standing, Yahaba takes the fractured gem to Oikawa and holds it out to him.

Oikawa is looking between his outstretched hands and his face, a twisted expression of disgust, anger, and just plain distress crossing his face all at once. Yahaba gulps, cautiously coming closer.

“What’s broken can be fixed,” he whispers, Oikawa’s focus now only on the gem. “Give him time - he will accept you again.”

Yahaba waits for Oikawa’s breathing to slow again as he focuses on the mostly repaired gemstone. When he finally reaches out for it, Yahaba turns it over into Oikawa’s palm and nods.

Nothing else needs to be said - Yahaba isn’t sure what he could say at this point. Oikawa’s cradling the gem to himself and looks as though he’s ready to begin crying. He’s at least stopped shaking, and Yahaba waits for any sign that Oikawa may accept his comfort now.

“L-leave,” Oikawa sniffs, and his lips begin to tremble again. “Th… thanks, but leave me…”

“Oikawa, I don’t think you should be alone,” Yahaba murmurs, trying again to reach out for him.

Oikawa stops him, holding Yahaba’s wrist loosely. “It’s fine, j-just leave…”

Yahaba hesitates, watching for any signs that Oikawa truly means it. When he doesn’t find a change in Oikawa’s demeanor, Yahaba finally nods, more to himself this time than anything, and stands. “I’m returning to Fukurodani - I’m certain that’s where the others went as well.”

Oikawa doesn’t reply for a few seconds, and Yahaba sighs, accepting that he needs to move on. “Hajime isn’t there,” he hears, making Yahaba stop and turn back. Oikawa hasn’t moved, and he doesn’t say anything more. Biting his lip, Yahaba weighs his options and decides it’s better to do as he said he would.

The trek back to Fukurodani takes hours, and by the time he finds the decrepit castle, night has fallen. Watari is sitting outside, digging through his bag with furrowed brows when he hears Yahaba approach. Yahaba stops a few paces from the steps, staring over at Watari in silence.

“Is King Oikawa going to be okay?” Watari quietly asks, to which all Yahaba can do is shrug. “I… I’m not sure what we can do there, you know?”

“Oikawa made his choice,” Yahaba mumbles, stepping closer and moving to pass Watari in order to enter the castle. “He will have to deal with it.”

Watari grunts in agreement, focusing back on his bag. “King Bokuto gave us all rooms to stay in for however long we need…”

“That’s kind of him,” Yahaba stops, hesitates. “Where’s my room…?”

“Kyoutani is waiting for you,” is the answer he receives, and Yahaba feels his neck burn. He can’t meet Watari’s gaze, and he knows Watari probably is trying to avoid looking at him as well.

“Thank you,” he murmurs instead, clearing his throat before entering the castle.

Within the entrance hall, Yahaba can see many of the last surviving members of Fukurodani’s kingdom huddled along the walls. Some of the people look as though there isn’t any hope, while others appear determined, passing around supplies or talking quietly with any of the distraught individuals. He recognizes the golden crescent moon symbol on a few of the Wizards and immediately knows that they were considered Top Tier before the fall of the castle. Yahaba doesn’t recognise anyone however, and continues forward to the only archway that hasn’t been blocked off.

He’s met with the sight of a staircase, not unlike the one in Seijou’s castle - the biggest difference being the caving in of the steps the further up it goes. The second floor is still accessible if you avoid the holes, and Yahaba begins to wonder where Kyoutani could be.

“Second floor, to the left,” someone says, and Yahaba nearly jumps out of his skin when he turns. Akaashi is staring at him, the same blank expression from before adorning his features. “The right is blocked off, they considered it too hazardous to allow anyone over there.”

Yahaba isn’t sure what to say. There’s a new scar along Akaashi’s left temple, and while the blood has been wiped away, Yahaba can still see where it had stained his skin. “Are you—”

“I’m fine,” Akaashi cuts in, shaking his head. “Bokuto had it worse; they’re currently tending to him in the temporary infirmary.” He frowns a little, looking back over his shoulder and crossing his arms. “The Grand Wizard King himself saved him… I should be thankful, but…”

Biting his lip, Yahaba considers what he should say next. Unfortunately, the only thing he can think of is the fight between Oikawa and Iwaizumi. “O… Oikawa saved him? From what?”

“Washijo,” Akaashi answers with a terse voice. “Bokuto was struggling against Yamiji, trying to talk to him while they fought, and I couldn’t keep Washijo back. I wasn’t going to make it in time, but then suddenly, Washijo was blasted into a tree.”

Yahaba is gaping at him now. “Washijo… where is he?”

Akaashi shrugs, reaching up to touch his new scar. “He was gone before we knew it.”

His fist clench and Yahaba grinds his teeth together. “He got away…”

“Unfortunately…”

He wants to ask more - what happened with Yamiji, will Bokuto be alright, how his story of Oikawa intervening didn’t match with what Oikawa said when he woke up - but somehow, Yahaba didn’t feel it was his place. So instead, Yahaba nods and turns to look at the stairs again. “You said to the left, but then where do I go?”

“You should be able to feel him,” Akaashi says simply, “ _desava_ Kyoutani has some control over his magic, but it’s not enough for his presence to be distorted.”

Yahaba feels his mouth dry at his words. “Th-thanks…”

Akaashi doesn’t reply, possibly has even walked away, but Yahaba doesn’t look back. He moves toward the stairs and makes his way up, watching where he steps and ensuring he doesn’t break away any more of the stone. By the time he reaches the landing for the second floor, he can already feel it.

Staring down the left corridor, Yahaba follows the flow of power coming towards him. It’s winding around him, almost like it’s pulling at him, and so very warm. His breath hitches when he feels the magic caress down his arm and take his hand, gulping at the way it invites him towards the source.

He’s felt this before, perhaps not as strongly or intensely, but Yahaba knows who this is. His dream with the terror vines told him all he needed to know, confirmed his suspicions - or at least, allowed Yahaba to properly think of the meaning behind it all.

Yahaba stops before an unassuming doorway, the magical presence dancing around him and trying to push him forward. He holds his ground, staring at the wooden door that blocks his view to the one he’s been looking for. 

It’s been so long, he has forgotten what it feels like to be this nervous. 

The door opens, the magic around him taking the initiative. Yahaba steps carefully over the threshold and stops when he sees him. The door clicks shut quietly behind him. 

Kyoutani is staring back at him from the center of the room, his golden eyes glowing in the light of the candles. Behind him, a large open window frames his figure, and the moon hangs heavily in the sky, lighting Kyoutani’s body with an ethereal glow. 

His chest plate is gone, along with the shoulder guard. His feet are bare and he looks as though he’s been pacing. Even his belt and fur has been discarded, only his undergarments remain. Yahaba gulps at the sight, his eyes focusing on the bandage around Kyoutani’s left bicep. 

“ _Desava_ ,” Yahaba begins, voice soft but somehow loud in the quiet between them. Kyoutani doesn’t react to the word - he knows Yahaba has learned the truth. “I’ve seen every inch of your skin, but you have no mark like the others.” Yahaba focuses again on the bandage. “All except for there…”

Kyoutani looks down at it as well, but he doesn’t move otherwise. Yahaba steps closer, reaching up to unlatch his cloak and let it drop. Kyoutani’s gaze returns to Yahaba at the sound, and Yahaba continues to undo the fastenings of his shirt. Once he stands before Kyoutani, he pulls back the cloth and removes it from his body, pulling his gloves with it as well. 

One of his scarred hand reaches out, taking hold of the bandage. “It’s hot,” Yahaba mumbles, fingers moving over the white cloth. “Like as if it’s on fire…”

“Magic,” Kyoutani mutters backs, their eyes locked together as he steps a little closer. “Don’t use it much…”

“Most Beasts don’t,” Yahaba agrees, his fingers digging under the bandage. “ _Desava_ , however, is an honor from what I’ve heard… you’re going to be powerful one day, Kyoutani.”

Kyoutani scowls. “You met Hinata…”

“I did,” Yahaba nods, “I met the heir to the Rain Tribe.”

Kyoutani looks angry at this. “He’s stupid, he thinks being _desava_ is a good thing!”

“What’s wrong with being destined to become _despavare_? That’s what it is, isn’t it?” Yahaba pulls at the bandage until it comes away. “The Sun chose you to be Iwaizumi’s heir.”

The bandages fall and Yahaba looks down to see the mark of _desava_ \- red, swirling designs much like the mark that Hinata displayed proudly. Yahaba reaches up and touches the red mark, the feel of it burning on his fingertips. Being able to see it now, Yahaba is reminded of the sun itself, swirls coming off like the rays of the blinding orb.

“ _Desava_ only becomes _despavare_ when original dies,” Kyoutani is quiet, voice difficult to hear. “When he took me in, the tribe thought it was out of favoritism. It wasn’t… it was because of this…”

Kyoutani reaches over to touch the mark as well, fingers brushing Yahaba’s. Yahaba is focusing back on Kyoutani’s face now, his expression tense.

“Iwaizumi didn’t take me in out of pity or some other shit,” Kyoutani admits, “he did it because I was _desava_.”

He’s silent then, and it’s clear he’s lost in thought. Yahaba watches him for a moment, taking in the emotions that cross his face. He removes his hand from the heated mark to touch Kyoutani’s cheek instead, pushing him to meet his gaze. “He loves you, Kyoutani…”

“He believes I’m under the control of a device and not really all here,” Kyoutani spits, “that what I feel for you isn’t real enough to allow me to claim you.”

Yahaba shakes his head. “He accepted me as _faemn_ , Kentarou.”

Kyoutani looks shocked at this. “H… he what?”

“He said that I am his _faemn_ ,” Yahaba murmurs, leaning close to kiss Kyoutani softly. “Hajime accepts us…”

Kyoutani doesn’t look convinced. “How… how close were you two after I was gone?”

Yahaba frowns, brow furrowing. “Nothing happened if that’s what you’re implying.”

Scoffing, Kyoutani rolls his eyes. “Nothing _could_ happen since he’s claimed Oikawa.”

“Do you think he’ll forgive Oikawa?”

“Probably,” Kyoutani shrugs, avoiding his eyes now. “He was hurt though…”

Yahaba’s jaw shifts, recalling what Iwaizumi had shouted at Oikawa. “I was hurt, too…”

“I know, I saw how you were after the fire—”

“Not about Oikawa,” Yahaba whispers, leaning in to press their foreheads together. “I lost you…”

Kyoutani stiffens at this admission. “You… you were hurt by _me_?”

Yahaba shakes his head a little, the motion making Kyoutani move, too. “I… I was angry, and confused. Scared actually,” Yahaba says, moving to hold Kyoutani. He feels Kyoutani’s hands gently take hold of his waist, and Yahaba shivers at the contact. “That fear… it kept me alive, and I tried to make sense of everything that had happened but I… I felt so _numb_ ,” he takes a shaking breath and closes his eyes, trying to pull Kyoutani closer. “I was ready to let myself die, b-because I hated myself _so much_.”

“Yahaba…” His hands are moving, pulling Yahaba closer to him as well and Yahaba hiccups on a laugh.

He must be crying.

“A-and I needed to die to make up for it all. But _only_ if it hurt. It _needed_ to hurt, s-so that I could _feel_ something again. It… it was like, if I died and it hurt, then everything that had happened… I had been alive for it, it was real and not all in my head,” Yahaba is shaking now, Kyoutani’s hand running up and down in a soothing manner. “Everything between us must have been real, i-if only I could feel something…

“But then, I thought to myself, Kyoutani couldn’t possibly have wanted me to live this way,” Yahaba gulps, trying to keep his voice even as he continues. “T-that pain or-or numbness wasn’t an outlet to live by. That my _friends_ , the people who stuck with me, couldn’t bare to watch me lose myself like that.” Yahaab sniffles, opening his eyes to look at Kyoutani again. “A-and so, until everything ends, I wanted to _hope_ again. That when my time came, that when the pain began, I would have felt as if it meant something, to be afraid to die rather than be afraid to live.” Yahaba tries to smile, but he’s shaking too much. “Being afraid to live without you was a life of numbness, so I went on and tried not to let myself go to the fear, the anger, the confusion…”

Kyoutani doesn’t say anything, Yahaba’s shaking finally breaking enough for the sobs to come. He falls into Kyoutani, his body limp as the other catches him.

“I-I _love you_ so much…!” Yahaba manages around his sobs, digging his fingers into Kyoutani’s back and holding on as tightly as he can. “ _Please_ , don’t ever leave me…!”

He barely hears it over his own sobbing, but Kyoutani murmurs something in his language before Yahaba is suddenly hoisted up from under his thighs. He quickly wraps his legs around Kyoutani, allowing himself to be carried to the bed.

It’s soft underneath him, the plush feel allowing him to sink down a little. Kyoutani’s climbing over him, settling above him before he leans down to kiss Yahaba’s trembling lips.

This kiss is the kind of heat that Yahaba’s been needing. It shocks his system, sending a wave of energy straight through him and removing the numbness that still resides in his limbs. He feels everything he hadn’t been before, and Yahaba cannot breathe for a moment.

It almost feels like he’s floating in this euphoric energy. Kyoutani is _here_ , alive and well, kissing him slowly and pressing against him, like as if he knows Yahaba needs a constant reminder he’s there. Yahaba uses his hold around Kyoutani’s neck to lift himself up into his heat, arching his back and kissing back just as roughly.

Their bodies slide together, puzzle pieces that had been incomplete for far too long. Yahaba turns his head, slotting their mouths together to better access Kyoutani’s and press their tongue together. He feels the rumbles of Kyoutani moaning through their chests, and Yahaba shivers at the feeling.

Kyoutani rolls to the side, yanking Yahaba with him until he’s settled on top of him. Yahaba takes this moment to pull away, panting as he stares down at him. Kyoutani reaches up, pushing back a strand of Yahaba’s hair and smiles. “It’s become very silver…”

Yahaba smiles back, grabbing hold of Kyoutani’s wrist to keep his hand on his cheek. “I’m so happy you’re alive…”

“I can tell,” Kyoutani snickers, rolling his hips up and brushing their clothed erections together. Yahaba gasps, biting his lip to keep from moaning outright. Kyoutani pulls him down, still laughing as he kisses him softly. “I’m happy, too.”

Yahaba surges forward, kissing him much more deeply and pulling his body up to gain better control of movements on top of Kyoutani. Releasing his wrist, Yahaba moves to dig his fingers into Kyoutani’s hair, feeling the same tug come over the nape of his neck. He breaks for a split second to take a deep breath, pushing down to roughly kiss him again, tongue plunging into his hot mouth. Kyoutani is moaning again, Yahaba’s fingers trailing down from his hair as he grinds his groin against Kyoutani’s.

He stops when his fingers brush the cool metallic plate of the device.

They’re both panting heavily when Yahaba pulls back, some drool pooling from the corner of Kyoutani’s mouth. “What’s wrong…?”

Yahaba gulps, looking between his eyes. “Do you love me?”

Kyoutani stares at him, clearly confused. “Yes…?”

“I mean it,” Yahaba says, poking Kyoutani’s chest. “Do you love me?”

“Yahaba, I’ve said it before,” Kyoutani mumbles, brows furrowing. “ _Shenance har dem_...”

Yahaba is surprised. “That… that means I love you?” Kyoutani only nods. “You… you said that…”

“In the North,” Kyoutani grunts, pushing himself up and pulling Yahaba back to keep him in his lap. “Yahaba,” he shakes his head, taking a deep breath, “Shigeru… I love you.”

Heat is bursting in his chest and Yahaba can feel a burning in his eyes again. “I,” he can’t find the right words, far too shocked that Kyoutani had said it so long ago. “I love you, too, Kentarou…”

Kyoutani snorts, kissing at Yahaba’s jaw. “I know, you said that before.”

He’s kissing his neck now, and Yahaba sighs at the feeling, tilting his head back to give him better access. There’s something heavy on his lashes, and Yahaba can only assume it’s the tears that were trying to build just now. He blinks, pressing Kyoutani in closer to his neck as he continues to mouth at it.

Yahaba sees them just as Kyoutani bites down, and he moans out into the room. He hadn’t noticed it before, but the room had the same red vines as the temple hanging from above, only there were various flowers hanging from the vines. As Kyoutani’s tongue runs over the fresh bite on Yahaba’s neck, Yahaba focuses on the flowers and tries to think of where he’s seen them before.

It’s when Kyoutani’s hand is gently dragging down his spine towards the hem of his pants that Yahaba recalls where he’s seen those flowers before. “Ken…”

Kyoutani grunts, kissing along his collar bone.

“Claim me…”

The air is thick and Yahaba feels like his body is sticky, but Kyoutani doesn’t move. Yahaba’s breathing is labored, the heat beginning to make him a little dizzy. Kyoutani moves away, lifting his head to look up at Yahaba.

“Are you sure?”

Yahaba holds his gaze, staring down at him before his eyes flick to the flowers. “Yes… I’m sure…”

Kyoutani slowly turns to look over his shoulder to where Yahaba is looking and sees them, too. “Oh… I didn’t see those…”

“Hydroceringel,” Yahaba says, climbing out of Kyoutani’s lap to go to the vine with the purple flowers. “Also called the liquid touch me flower…”

Kyoutani narrows his eyes. “Why…?”

Yahaba gives him a look. “What do your people call them?”

“ _Zuame_ ,” Kyoutani shrugs, “I… think it means liquid gel…?”

“Exactly,” Yahaba takes the flower from the vine, bringing it back to the bed. “It really only grows in the West, but it produces liquid that’s good for,” Yahaba hesitates, licking his lips. “Well… lubricant…”

Kyoutani stares at him for a moment before looking at the flower. “You want me to use it?”

“It’ll be bad otherwise, right?” Yahaba shifts awkwardly, suddenly nervous that his request will be denied. “I… I want you to claim me, Kentarou.”

They’re both silent for a moment, and just as Yahaba is about to give up and tell him never mind, Kyoutani pulls him back onto the bed and pins him into the plush covers.

“ _Vashuco_ ,” he growls in a low voice, the sound sending shivers through Yahaba’s body.

“Y-yes,” he whispers before Kyoutani can kiss him, lips moving around Yahaba’s and pulling his tongue into his own mouth, sucking at it to make Yahaba groan in pleasure.

Yahaba feels Kyoutani moving against him, rutting up into him as well as they shift and bite into their kiss. Their teeth clank, but it’s ignored in favor of the intense friction of their swollen lips. Yahaba reaches down to pull at his pants, finding Kyoutani’s already there and working to do the same. They’re both too hurried to get a grip on the latch long enough to pull it down, so Yahaba slaps his hands away and does it himself.

It doesn’t take as long for Yahaba to pull Kyoutani’s undergarments off, chucking them across the room with the rest of their clothes.

Finally free of any clothing, Yahaba immediately pulls Kyoutani in close with his knees, grinding their erections together with the slick of precum. Kyoutani pulls out of the kiss to moan into Yahaba’s shoulder, unable to help himself as he pushes up again to feel the drag of their members rubbing together again.

He’s biting down on Yahaba’s shoulder now, and Yahaba groans at the feeling, digging one hand into Kyoutani’s hair while the other tries to grab hold of his skin, nails scratching deep. Neither of them can keep their hips from humping again, the grind of their dicks far too nice to let it stop.

But it’s not enough. Yahaba pulls at Kyoutani’s hair, reaching down to push up against Kyoutani’s pelvis and get him to stop. His own hips are chasing though, and Yahaba has to bite down on his lip to keep from whining. “Shigeru…?”

“Th-this isn’t enough,” he mutters, finally getting his hips to settle when he drops his legs from around Kyoutani’s hips. “I… I _need_ you to…”

He can’t finish the sentence, but Kyoutani understands perfectly. Yahaba watches in a daze as he sits up and backs away from Yahaba, reaching over to take the flower from the side of the bed. Yahaba focuses in on Kyoutani’s throbbing erection to realize he’s frozen in place at first, but when he doesn’t come back, Yahaba pulls his gaze away to look at Kyoutani’s face.

He’s staring down at his hand, clearly trying to work something out. Yahaba isn’t sure what the hold up is.

“Ken…?” Kyoutani finally looks over at him, concern suddenly evident in the way his brows are knitted together. “What’s wrong?”

Kyoutani stares at him for a moment before bringing his hand up, showing it to Yahaba. For a brief second, Yahaba is worried he’d missed something about Kyoutani’s hand - that the miniature Phantom had left its mark on Kyoutani again - but all he sees it the same hand from before.

It’s only after Kyoutani wiggles his fingers does Yahaba realize the problem.

“Oh Gods, you have claws,” Yahaba bemoans, dropping his head back in frustration. Kyoutani’s nails are razor sharp and would cut him open if he tries to prep him. Trying to think of a solution, Yahaba looks back up and sees Kyoutani considering his hand for a moment. He’s about to suggest something when Kyoutani moves to bite at his nails, and Yahaba immediately panics, grabbing his hand. “What are you doing?!”

Kyoutani glares at him. “What does it look like I’m doing?”

“It looks like you’re about to chew your nails to make them shorter!” Yahaba clicks his tongue, shaking his head. “You can’t do that!”

“Why not?”

“Because they’ll be jagged and that will only make this _worse_!”

Kyoutani considers this, obviously not agreeing. Finally he drops his hand and glares down at the flower. “So what am I supposed to do?”

Yahaba looks at the flower as well and tries to think of anything. “Well,” he feels his face burn, but there’s no reason to be embarrassed. “Just watch…”

He takes the flower in hand and presses his fingers in past the petals, digging for the liquid-like gel within. Yahaba can feel it coating his fingers after a moment, bringing his hand back out with a string of slime connecting him to the center of the flower. Meeting Kyoutani’s curious gaze, Yahaba licks his lips and sits back, reaching down to touch his entrance experimentally.

“Wait,” Kyoutani croaks, and Yahaba stares at him, trying not to move. “You… you’re going to…?”

Instead of an answer, Yahaba just smirks and presses his finger against the ring of muscle. He flinches at the feeling, but it doesn’t hurt as he pushes further in. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Yahaba continues pushing and pulling at his hole, looking back to Kyoutani for his reaction.

He’s completely entranced, watching Yahaba’s fingers as a second one eventually slips in. Kyoutani licks his own lips, eyes flicking up to Yahaba’s when he feels him watching. “Is it okay to eat?”

Yahaba blanches, eyes widening. “E-eat…?”

“The liquid,” Kyoutani gestures to the flower, “is it safe to eat it?”

“Y… yes…?”

Kyoutani grunts, and before Yahaba can do anything, he’s leaning down and pulling Yahaba’s hand away. Yahaba’s head feels like it will explode at the sight of Kyoutani’s face between his legs, but all sensible thought is lost when he feels Kyoutani’s tongue lick at his hole.

Yahaba’s goes rigid at the feeling, throwing his head back and arching up to try to chase the feeling. Kyoutani’s breath huffs against his skin, and the feeling of it sends a shiver throughout Yahaba’s body, his dick twitching in response. He feels his hips rise suddenly, Kyoutani’s hands holding him up and thumbs pulling at his cheeks to give him a better view of Yahaba’s entrance.

His tongue is plunging inside of him and Yahaba can only moan out into the room in response, any semblance of a real word lost to the pleasure. Kyoutani’s mouth moves just like it does when they kiss, his tongue pushing and prodding at every wall within Yahaba’s body that it can reach. He’s sucking a little, teeth grazing his skin before his tongue begins to thrust in and out of Yahaba. With every movement, Yahaba is moaning out tiny whimpers and cries, his body trying to rock up to meet Kyoutani at every thrust. His erection is throbbing now, and he can feel the build of pressure in his groin ready to burst.

“ _K-Ken_ ,” Yahaba groans, reaching for him as best as he can. “I… I need _you_!”

Kyoutani finally pulls away, licking at the gel that spills out from Yahaba’s hole and his lips. “Are you sure you’re ready?”

Yahaba wiggles his hips, Kyoutani gently lowering them to the bed again. “C-claim me…!”

“Shigeru, just wait a little longer,” he murmurs, taking one of Yahaba’s reaching hands and kissing the gel soaked fingers. “I don’t want to hurt you…”

Whining, Yahaba pulls his hand away and shoves it into the flower, gather more liquid-gel. Hurrying, he pushes his hips up and reaches around to find his entrance again, shoving three fingers in as best as he can.

It’s not easy, and he can’t quite reach as much as he would like. Kyoutani is watching him, frowning when it’s clear Yahaba isn’t pushing in enough. Scowling, he leans over Yahaba and grabs his shoulders, sitting him and watching the three fingers sink into him.

Yahaba moans against Kyoutani’s shoulder, pushing his fingers around to get a feel for the stretch. Feeling a lack in pain, Yahaba pushes at him until Kyoutani is lying back, straddling him as he does so.

“Shigeru—”

“I’m fine,” he mutters, voice low and rough. Kyoutani is staring up at him, pupils blown wide as he watches Yahaba settle over his erection. “Claim me, Kentarou.”

Kyoutani twitches, clearly trying to hold back, but when Yahaba begins to sink down onto him, Kyoutani can’t stop himself from thrusting up into him.

The stretch burns.

Yahaba cries out, moaning Kyoutani’s name and trembling from the feeling of his throbbing member pushing inside of him. Yahaba reaches forward, holding himself on Kyoutani’s abs to keep from falling over. He stares down at Kyoutani with wide eyes, his breathing uneven.

Kyoutani stares back, eyes roving over his body and focusing on where their body’s have come together before flicking back up to Yahaba’s face.

“Are you okay?”

“Sh,” Yahaba stutters, trying to get the words out, “ _shenance h-har dem, vashuco_...!”

Kyoutani seems frozen in shock. Yahaba gulps, hoping he hadn’t said it wrong when suddenly he’s being yanked down into a kiss.

“I love you, Shigeru,” Kyoutani grunts, and Yahaba cries out at the feeling of his dick thrusting up into him. Kyoutani has a grip on his hips, holding Yahaba up over him as he thrusts hurriedly into Yahaba several times, the pleasurable heat burning through his body.

Yahaba is grunting in time to Kyoutani’s fast pace, but he needs more once again. Despite his body bouncing with every slam of his hips, Yahaba manages to hold himself up enough to find Kyoutani’s mouth again and kiss him.

It’s messier than any of their kisses, and Yahaba moans into the feeling as his body is jostled from Kyoutani ramming into him. The thrusts have given him the friction his own dick craves on Koutani’s belly. Finally able to gain purchase again, Yahaba deepens the kiss properly and Kyoutani slows in his movements to focus on the push and pull of their tongues.

Pulling away, Yahaba sits up again, Kyoutani sinking further into him as he looks down on him. “H-how exactly does this claiming thing work…? I know it’s sex, but…”

“Scent,” Kyoutani grunts, sitting up as well, to kiss him again. The movement has his dick shifting within Yahaba and he whimpers into their kiss. “My cum will be filled with claiming scent and I will fill you with it…”

Yahaba’s face is on fire by this point, he’s sure. “W-wait… that doesn’t sound so good…!”

“We’ll clean it out,” Kyoutani mumbles, biting into his next kiss. “The scent will remain.”

“So it’s just inside of me?” Yahaba mumbles, shivering when Kyoutani pulls him up a bit before settling him back down. “Is th-that all?”

“I can cum on your chest if you want,” Kyoutani groans, kissing at Yahaba’s neck again.

Yahaba feels his lip curl. “Do… do you _have_ to do that?”

Kyoutani pulls back and frowns at Yahaba’s disgusted look. “Don’t have to, but it’s nice to smell me on you everywhere…”

They stare at one another for a moment. It’s not obvious, and Yahaba still isn’t completely sure, but it looks as though Kyoutani is hurt by his reaction.

“How long does it have to stay on me to take effect?” Yahaba asks, shifting a little. The feeling of his erection inside of Yahaba is great, but it’s better if they’re moving.

“Not long,” Kyoutani shrugs, avoiding his eyes, “don’t have to if you don’t want to…”

“Then do it,” Yahaba grunts, lifting himself up to slam back down, getting Kyoutani to look at him again. “You want to do it, so do it.”

Kyoutani moans when Yahaba lifts himself up again, surging forward to knock Yahaba onto his back. A renewed excitement has been built with his statement, and Yahaba is screaming out into the room again as Kyoutani thrusts into him again.

This time, the pleasure doesn’t take long to rebuild itself and soon Yahaba feels the heat pooling in his groin reaching the point of release. Kyoutani must feel it as well, pulling away from Yahaba’s neck where he’d been biting again to kiss him deeply one final time.

There’s a rush of heat suddenly released within him and Yahaba groans at the feeling. His own erection is releasing cum onto his stomach, hot and fresh against his skin. Kyoutani pulls out, the loss leaving an ache behind. Yahaba feels his body go limp, exhausted until he feels more heat spilling out onto him.

Looking down, Yahaba shivers at the sight of Kyoutani’s dick cumming onto his stomach and chest. He gulps, wincing at the feeling of slick and cum all over him. Kyoutani is panting, watching for a moment as well before he reaches down, rubbing at the concoction on Yahaba’s stomach.

“D-don’t rub it in!” Yahaba protests, but he doesn’t move to stop Kyoutani. His gaze is intensely focused on what he’s doing, and there’s a shift in his golden eyes as his scent mingles with Yahaba’s.

After several minutes of Kyoutani just staring down at Yahaba and the mess they’d made, ahaba begins to feel the disgust build in his stomach from being covered in their cum. “K… Kentarou…?”

Kyoutani slowly lifts his gaze from Yahaba’s stomach to meet his eyes.

“Can we clean this up now…?”

Kyoutani doesn’t seem to register what he’s saying right away. There’s something off in the way he’s looking at Yahaba, and it makes his stomach flip with worry. He feels like he’s going to be sick, and just as he’s about to ask if Kyoutani regrets it, the look is gone.

As if nothing had happened, Kyoutani smiles, his eyes gentle and full of love. “Of course, _vashuco_ ; I’ll do it, you stay here.”

Yahaba watches Kyoutani stand from the bed and move to where the bathing supplies are. As he goes, Yahaba takes notice of the small black device nestled in Kyoutani’s neck, and the sickness coils into his belly.


	39. Moon Child

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: last chapter was posted on the exact 1 year anniversary of this story being posted! Yay!!
> 
> Not so fun fact: I'm not happy with this chapter, but it is what it is.

Watching the sunrise isn’t anything new for Yahaba, especially if he hadn’t slept the night before. There shouldn’t have been any reason for him staying up all night, however - the bed is comfortable, the room smells sweet, and the warm body beside him is a comfort all on it’s own. Yahaba should have slept like a baby in the arms of the man he loves.

The sight of the device in Kyoutani’s neck reminds him of the thoughts that plagued him throughout the night.

Yahaba stares down at Kyoutani now, the cool air of the early morning seeping through the slightly cracked window and tickling his skin. The breeze shifts the vines hanging from the ceiling, the mixed scents dancing around him. It’s strange how nice everything smells when before he had barely noticed it.

He wonders if the claim Kyoutani placed on him has heightened his senses.

Kyoutani looks peaceful at least, sleeping on his stomach and reaching towards Yahaba to hold him. He had removed Kyoutani’s hold in the middle of the night, his stomach doing flips at the memory of Kyoutani’s blank expression in the afterglow.

At first, Yahaba had thought Kyoutani was overwhelmed by their scents mixing together, the claim taking hold of Yahaba permanently. But there was an unsettling aura coming off of Kyoutani that he couldn’t place right away. He’s almost certain of what it had been now after sitting awake for several hours.

Kyoutani’s scarred skin seems to glow when the sunlight hits him, the red and orange hues of the trees outside adding warmth. It’s fitting, especially when the spiraled mark on his shoulder reacts to the heat and actually glows red.

It really looks like Earth’s star, marked upon a Sun Child. _Fimar_ could not have made a mistake, Yahaba knows Kyoutani is the best fit.

Or perhaps he isn’t, and this love is blinding Yahaba to Kyoutani’s true self. He’s heard it several times now - Wizard Killer, the name given to Kyoutani for his actions during the war.

The device has changed him, and Yahaba hates how this fact became apparent to him far too late.

What could he do now? Free Kyoutani? He certainly wants to, but Yahaba is pretty sure he’s not good enough to remove the device without harming Kyoutani. He could have Oikawa do it, but Oikawa isn’t in a good place right now - not after Iwaizumi’s outburst and rejection of any apology Oikawa tried to give. Perhaps King Bokuto could do it, but then again, he had made it clear that he usually has no idea what he’s doing. Plus, Akaashi had mentioned that Bokuto was badly wounded during his fight with the two Council members; he’s not sure when Bokuto would be up and moving again, let alone using his magic.

Taking a deep breath, Yahaba pushes himself away from Kyoutani and the bed, standing to find his clothes. It takes a moment, but eventually he finds his things and pulls them all on. His robe is the last to go on, but he hesitates on the clasp. Grabbing his bag, Yahaba shoves the outer wear into a magic pocket and pulls the strap over his head, moving towards the door.

He stops, glancing back to the bed and his sleeping _vashuco_. Yahaba’s stomach turns, his heart rate spiking for a second before he turns back and pushes the door open, leaving without a second look.

The door clicks shut quietly behind him, and Yahaba moves down the hall toward the broken staircase. He stops before the first step, an unsettling wave of magic coming from the right wing of the second floor. Yahaba slowly looks down the other hall Akaashi told him not to go to, hesitating for a moment before following the beckoning magic.

Yahaba steps carefully through the abandoned wing, keeping his eyes peeled for any structural damage that could fall on him. There doesn’t seem to be anything wrong, but there must have been a reason the right corridors were closed off. He stops when he comes to a turn in the hall, a soft sob echoing towards him.

His heart is pounding as he moves closer to the bend, trying to quiet his footsteps the further along he goes. Yahaba stops when he hears a sniffle, leaning his upper half forward to look around the wall.

He didn’t expect to see Oikawa huddled on the floor beside a window, glaring down at something outside. Yahaba relaxes, straightening as he comes out from around the corner and goes to Oikawa’s side. He keeps his distance however, remembering the blasts Oikawa shot at him.

Oikawa doesn’t look at him, pulling his knees in closer and rubbing at his face. “What do you want?” He mutters, still glaring out the window.

“Are you,” Yahaba shakes his head, stopping himself. “What are you looking at?”

Oikawa snorts, and Yahaba isn’t sure if it’s because he can tell what Yahaba originally was going to ask or if it’s because of what he decided to go with. “Just some pretty little _Beast_ who’s _perfect_ and _wonderful_ and doesn’t know what _personal space_ is…”

Yahaba narrows his eyes, brows knitting together as he steps closer to look out the window. Sure enough, Iwaizumi is outside, and he’s not alone. Yahaba takes in another deep breath when he sees Akaashi touch Iwaizumi’s shoulder, turning his gaze to the ceiling when he understands what’s happening.

“Oikawa, they—”

“Were supposed to claim one another,” Oikawa grumbles, “yeah. I know.” Yahaba can’t bring himself to look back at Oikawa, listening to him sniffle again. “Mattsun told me…”

Yahaba clears his throat, turning to lean against the wall beside the window. “He claimed you though…”

“And regrets it, I’m sure,” Oikawa huffs, shaking his head. “I fucked up, Yahaba…”

“You were doing what you thought was right,” Yahaba rubs at his neck, still unable to look at Oikawa, “though I… I’m still not sure _what_ you were doing.”

Oikawa scoffs, leaning back to hit his head into the wall behind himself. “The same thing Mattsun sent you to do - find the Cardinal Elements.” He reaches into his pocket and pulls out the shrunken statue for the Western Element of Earth, tossing it to Yahaba. Yahaba catches it, finally looking back to Oikawa. “You did better than I did. All I did was fall down a cliff and get stuck where there was no magic…”

“If Matsukawa sent you first, why didn’t he say anything?” Yahaba asks, sliding down the wall to sit beside him. “Why didn’t he just tell us you were alive?”

Oikawa shrugs, looking out the window again. From the look in his eyes, Oikawa isn’t really focusing on what’s beyond the glass, isn’t looking for anything specific. “I told him not to… if you all believed me to be dead, then the Magic Council wouldn’t have reason to look for me…”

Yahaba stares at him for a moment before it sinks in. “If we knew, we would have acted differently, maybe even talked about things when we shouldn’t have,” he hesitates on his next statement, biting his bottom lip for a second and looking at the miniature Earth statue in his hand. “ _I_ wouldn’t have blown your cover talking about it in the wrong place at the wrong time again…”

“Any one of you could have been at fault, Yahaba,” Oikawa mumbles, thunking his head against the glass but not moving away. “Don’t blame yourself for every little thing…”

He doesn’t want to agree, to admit that Oikawa was right, so Yahaba simply nods and looks out the window. Iwaizumi and Akaashi were still talking, and Oikawa must have looked at them again when he gives a soft growling sound. “When he claimed you, did things change?”

Oikawa rolls his head against the window to give Yahaba a look. “What do you mean?”

“Did,” Yahaba licks his lips, feeling his cheeks burn, focusing back on the statue in hand, “did the claim give you heightened senses?”

Silence meets his statement, and Yahaba is afraid to look up now. From the way Oikawa had looked at him, he can only assume this didn’t happen to him.

“I… I guess, I mean,” Yahaba stutters, shifting his legs to sit a bit more comfortably, “did it _seem_ like it—”

“Yahaba,” Oikawa cuts him off, and Yahaba winces at the tone. He doesn’t sound angry, but something is off in the way Oikawa talks. “Did Kyoutani claim you?”

His face is burning and he knows Oikawa will be able to piece it together whether he says something or not. “He did…”

Oikawa hums, looking Yahaba over before he nods. “ You don’t seem happy about it… what happened?”

Yahaba doesn’t know where to begin. “It… it was fine, nothing wrong during…”

“But…?”

“But… afterwards, he,” Yahaba shakes his head, “he looked…”

“Vacant?” Yahaba jumps at the word, looking at Oikawa in shock. “The device still affects him, Yahaba.”

Yahaba’s jaw is hanging open now and he doesn’t know what to say. “He… did he say this?”

“No,” Oikawa’s voice drops, but his words are loud, crashing through Yahaba’s skull, “the Isle of Iron took away the hold on him, and he spent several hours going between his true feelings and the feelings the device made us all believe were true.”

He’s shaking now. “What… what are his true feelings?”

Oikawa’s expression turns dark. “To put it lightly, the only thing keeping him from killing me was Iwa-chan’s scent apparently…”

Yahaba is finding it hard to breathe. “You’re saying his choices are just… an illusion?”

“The device isn’t letting him make his own choices,” Oikawa nods, “he’ll do whatever you tell him.”

“Oh Gods,” Yahaba murmurs, holding his head. “I told him to claim me…”

Oikawa shifts closer, grabbing Yahaba’s shoulders and pulling him close. “It’s not your fault, you didn’t realize—”

“Hajime _told me_ you were both suspicious that he wasn't free!” Yahaba snaps, pulling out of Oikawa’s hold. “I - I knew there was a possibility that it was fake…! But I still—”

“Yahaba!”

“I didn’t mean to—”

“Yahaba, stop!” Oikawa shouts, smacking him. “Gods, what’s the matter with you?”

Yahaba stares up at Oikawa, confused. “What…?”

Oikawa gestures to the ceiling, “you almost made the ceiling collapse!” Sure enough, there’s a crack in the ceiling above them. He has no idea what magic he used to do that, Earth hot against his palm. “Gods, the others said you were unhinged, but I didn’t think it was this bad.”

He gulps, looking back to Oikawa. “Unhinged…?”

“Losing Kyoutani, or Hell, even the Watery Grave,” Oikawa clicks his tongue and nods at whatever expression Yahaba’s wearing now, “yeah. Watari told me about _that_.”

Yahaba’s shoulders slump. “I felt responsible for what happened to you…”

“It was not your fault,” Oikawa sighs, patting Yahaba’s head. “You did what you needed to and nothing more.”

“I should have done more…!”

“No,” Oikawa gives him a stern look, “I asked you to not bother, and I told you that you would become my heir. That’s what you did, and while Seijou has fallen, it doesn’t change the fact that you did what I asked of you.”

He wants to protest more, argue that it still wasn’t enough - not to him, at least - but Yahaba settles back again and sighs. “A-anyway, I… I did let him claim me… Gods, Oikawa, what am I going to do?”

Oikawa is silent, and from the look on his face, Yahaba almost believes he wasn’t really listening. But then he sighs heavily and shakes his head, scratching at his head, frowning to himself. “You’re going to have to remove the device, Yahaba.”

“And if he doesn’t love me?”

“He may attempt to kill you,” Oikawa answers easily, and Yahaba blanches at the response. “However, his claim on you may stop him.”

Yahaba feels his body grow heavy as he sits back and takes this in. “Gods, what have I done…?”

“You’re young and in love with someone who appears to be in love with you,” Oikawa waves his hand resting back against the wall again. “The illusion of his free will blinded you to the truth of who he is - a Wizard Killer who couldn’t possibly fall for a powerful Wizard like you.”

Yahaba scoffs, knocking his head into the stone of the wall, thumbing the cooling statue in his hand. “I’m not powerful, Oikawa.”

“You are,” Oikawa mumbles, picking at a loose thread on his clothes now. “A Wizard born with the moon is always going to be powerful.”

“You were the one born under a Supermoon,” Yahaba mutters, rolling his eyes, “you’re the Moon Child, Oikawa, not me. I was born during the day, remember?”

Oikawa hums, “is that so…?”

Yahaba sends him a look. “Yes. I was born in the early afternoon while the sun was still high in the sky.”

Oikawa’s gaze grows distant the more he pokes and pulls at the new hole forming in his shirt. “The Moon Child was meant to find the Sun Child and together they would save the world from Eternal Darkness,” he whispers, his tone sending a shiver down Yahaba’s spine. “The Moon Child would bring the control, and the Sun Child would bring the power… together, the Darkness over the land would burn out, and all would be well…”

Yahaba stares at Oikawa, having no idea what he’s talking about. When Oikawa remains silent for quite some time, Yahaba takes a deep breath to still his hammering heart and speak clearly. “Oikawa, what are you talking about?”

“I thought Iwa-chan was the Sun Child,” Oikawa whispers, continuing on, “and that I was the Moon Child. It fit, our entire history matched with the story, and we were to take on the Darkness together…”

He still isn’t sure what story Oikawa’s talking about. “Oikawa, I’m not—”

“But the Moon Child didn’t betray the Sun Child,” Oikawa cuts in, voice a little louder, tone much sharper. “The Moon Child loved the Sun Child as much as Moon did Sun - how could Moon Child _ever_ bring harm to Sun Child?” Yahaba leans away from Oikawa, growing weary as his words continue to crescendo in volume. “Stupid, how _stupid_ of me to think it was me! That _I_ was Iwa-chan’s Moon Child!”

“Oikawa, calm down—”

“I have never faced the Darkness,” Oikawa shakes his head, glaring at the floor and ignoring Yahaba. “The Hollow Body Phantom has been nothing more than a distant threat to me, but _you_ ,” his eyes suddenly snap to Yahaba’s face, “ _you_ have faced the Phantom and lived!”

Yahaba gapes at him. “I… I did, yeah…”

Oikawa gapes back. “And… you have no idea…”

Yahaba shakes his head. “I don’t, I really don’t know how I did it…”

Oikawa stares at him, eyes growing dull by the second as he returns to that distant place. Yahaba watches him for a while, waiting for an negative signs. When he sees none, he brings the shrunken statue to his face to look at it more closely.

He doesn’t want to return the Western Element to its original size just yet, the tiny piece of stone and metal now cold in his hand. Earth is similar to Air and Water, with its own signature curves and flare that differentiates it from the other two. Where Air had been silver and grey in coloring, Earth is brown and emerald, the colors reminding Yahaba of the soil and foliage of their planet. It’s smooth, perhaps a little rusted from the dust and grime over the years.

Water had been especially rusty if he remembers correctly, the blue and lilac colorings shining where the moisture of the hot spring kept it clean. He could pull out both Air and Water to examine them now, but he decides against it for now, turning the miniature statue over to look at the etchings of Earth’s symbol. 

Yahaba wonders about Fire and how it will appear - perhaps as whimsical as Air rather than firm and steady like Earth, or loose and flowing like Water. It would certainly match the element, though perhaps an added power behind its image will give Fire it’s true appearance.

“The terror vines,” Oikawa’s voice cuts into his thoughts, making Yahaba jump. He looks up again, dropping his hands to his lap, waiting for Oikawa to continue. Oikawa is staring out the window once more, but there isn’t a sneer on his face - Iwaizumi and Akaashi must have left. “What did the terror vines make you dream about?”

Yahaba honestly hadn’t had a chance to think about it before now. “At first, it was… normal…” Oikawa cocks a brow in question and Yahaba tries to find the best description. “It felt natural, like as if we were just doing what we had gone there for. But,” he licks his lips and shakes his head, “it was too easy to get _Minle_.”

Oikawa nods a little. “It flowed together with your original actions to best not raise any alarms.”

“Exactly,” Yahaba pulls his knees to his chest and leans forward, trying to remember what happened next. “Then we just kind of… left the temple and went back to Fukurodani’s castle, only it didn’t take as long to get back. There, we found you and Kyoutani,” Yahaba closes his eyes, wincing internally at his next statement, “and Iwaizumi punched you.”

Oikawa snorts, “fitting. I guess everyone thought I deserved it.”

“He didn’t hit you again,” Yahaba offers, shrugging a little. Oikawa just narrows his eyes and it’s enough to prompt him to continue. “I’m not sure what happened to everyone else after that, because suddenly it was just about me and Kyoutani and getting to hold him again…”

“That’s when it all went wrong I’m guessing?” OIkawa asks and Yahaba nods silently. “What did you see?”

Yahaba can still hear the ocean, smell the salt water and feel the warmth of the sunrise. “We were on the cliffs of Seijou, overlooking the ocean, and… we were getting married.” He rocks a little, leaning further against his legs. “Kyoutani was… he was _despavare_ and this was pretty much the moment I realized something was wrong.”

“And then…?”

“We weren’t alone,” Yahaba still remembers the curel look on his face, “we were being married by Lord Washijo…”

Oikawa huffs, shaking his head as his jaw shifts in anger. “What did he look like?”

Yahaba hadn’t wanted to focus on him. “He… he looked the same…”

“But?”

Yahaba can’t say it. “He…”

“Say it,” Oikawa looks at him now, and Yahaba feels a tremble overcome his body. “He was Hollow, wasn’t he?”

He can’t say it.

Oikawa doesn’t need him to, pushing himself to stand. “You woke up after, didn’t you?”

Yahaba still can’t say anything.

“You’re more powerful than you realize, Yahaba,” Oikawa says, reaching out to poke Yahaba’s forehead. “The headband will help you clear your thoughts… it always helped me.” Yahaba slowly looks back up at Oikawa and sees the smirk on his face. “You know this has meaning, what you saw in your dreams.”

Yahaba blinks, brows furrowing the longer he looks up at Oikawa. “How did you know…?”

“I’ve seen the same dream,” Oikawa mutters, eyes dark again, “but I never figured out why Washijo would look Hollow…”

Nothing more is said, and Oikawa steps away from the window, his footsteps echoing through the hall as he walks away.

The sun is high in the sky before Yahaba finally pulls himself together to leave as well, thoughts plagued with what it means to be Hollow. Before he rounds the corner that will take him to the stairs, he deposits Earth into his bag and stops, looking to the depths of it all.

He hasn’t worn the headband in so long.

Pulling it out, Yahaba looks at the golden accessory, the larimar gem glistening in the light of the sun beyond the windows. It’s just as clean as it always has been, though a bit a dull in color from what he last remembers. Frowning, Yahaba turns it over in his hand a few times before reaching up and sliding it over his head.

His hair has gotten long enough to fall into his eyes, and Yahaba brushes his bangs away in frustration. The once brunette locks are silver now, very few strands left of his original color. Yahaba heaves a sigh at the thought, especially when he realizes how long it’s been since he last truly looked at himself.

It has been a long four months.

Yahaba feels his body sag from the thought and feels the exhaustion creep over him. However, the once numbing thoughts do not plague him now. If anything, he’s feeling relaxed and ready to move on. Fukurodani has nothing left to give, and no one needs to recover from any major injuries. 

This in mind, Yahaba stands a little straighter and feels a little lighter for it as he walks back to the broken staircase. He passes by a few Top Tiers who send him strange looks on the way down the stairs, but Yahaba can’t be bothered by them - they need to continue their journey.

Yahaba walks into the entrance hall of Fukurodani’s castle to find his friends all gathered in the center by King Bokuto and Akaashi, the people of Fukurodani lining the walls and watching the exchange.

“Are you sure about this?” Bokuto is asking them, Matsukawa nodding.

“It isn’t safe to stay here,” he says, gesturing to the people around them, “not for us or your people.”

Bokuto frowns, rubbing his neck with the arm that isn’t being held in a sling. “I see… then, at least let us give you something for the road.”

“No need,” Yahaba says, walking up to the group and surprising Watari and Kindaichi as he comes to a stop at their sides. He tries not to think about the wide eyed stares he’s receiving from Iwaizumi and Hanamaki, certain they can smell Kyoutani’s claim. His cheeks still burn, but he focuses on Bokuto instead. “You should keep everything you have for your people, don’t waste it on us.”

“It wouldn’t be a waste if you’re going to stop the Hollow Body Phantom,” Akaashi says, stopping Bokuto from any protest he was about to make (and it’s clear it was going to be a loud one from the expression he’s making).

“We’ll be fine,” Oikawa replies, crossing his arms as he narrows his eyes at Akaashi. “It’s not like we’re helpless and weak.”

Akaashi doesn’t seem to notice the disdain in Oikawa’s voice. “I believe it,” he simply agrees before looking to Iwaizumi. “It was good to see you again, Hajime.”

Oikawa scowls when Iwaizumi smiles back at Akaashi and extends his hand. “I’m glad you’re safe, Keiji.”

Matsukawa steps in front of Oikawa to hold him off, the past King of Seijou looking ready to commit a murder, and smiles at their hosts. “Thank you again for helping us, we will get going now and once the Phantom has been destroyed, we’ll come back to aid you in restoring Fukurodani.”

Bokuto grins and nods, “sure thing! Come by anytime, the barriers should allow you all to pass through!”

Waving, Matsukawa grabs Oikawa and drags him out of the castle, Hanamaki chasing after them without a second thought. Bokuto watches them go with surprise, head tilting to the side in confusion. Yahaba shakes his head, glancing over to see Iwaizumi frown at their hasty exit.

“Thank you, King Bokuto,” Yahaba says again, stepping closer to bow a bit to the king. “By far, our trip to Fukurodani has been the fastest success.”

Bokuto laughs heartily, reaching out to smack Yahaba on the back. “Of course, King Yahaba! Fukurodani will always help when the need arises!”

Yahaba smiles up at him, his back throbbing from the smack. “I’m… not really the king if Oikawa is alive, you know?”

Bokuto contemplates this a moment, glancing to the side where Konoha is tending to an elderly couple. Konoha tenses when he feels Bokuto’s eyes on him and gives a deep sigh. “In a way, he’s right…”

Satisfied with the quick answer, Bokuto turns back to Yahaba and bobs his head. “Sure, sure! I think you should get going then,” he points behind himself, the confusion returning to his features, “your king left in a hurry.”

“Right,” Yahaba mumbles, trying to keep the smile in place. He shares a glance with Akaashi, but the two only nod before he goes to leave, the others following after saying their thanks to Bokuto and Akaashi.

The sun hangs in the sky as bright as ever, and Yahaba takes a deep breath of the fresh air. The scent of maple is thick, but Yahaba hasn’t smelled something so sweet in such a long time. Watari, Kindaichi, and Kunimi walk past him to hurry after the other three, Hanamaki jumping to get their attention.

Yahaba smiles at the sight of his friends all together again, any tension rolling off his shoulders. Iwaizumi and Kyoutani come to stand at either side of him, and suddenly, the tension returns.

“So, you’re officially my brother, Shigeru?” Iwaizumi chuckles, patting at Yahaba’s back in the same place Bokuto had smacked him. It stings a little. “Welcome to the family.”

He nods stiffly, smiling at Iwaizumi as naturally as he can. “Yeah… of course…”

Iwaizumi’s brow furrows and he looks between Yahaba and Kyoutani. “Right…” He shakes his head, removing his hand and heading towards the others in the red leafed forest.

Yahaba can’t meet Kyoutani’s eyes, but this doesn’t seem to bother Kyoutani. He leans in close, nuzzling Yahaba’s cheek before kissing it softly. “Let’s go, _vashuco_ , the others are waiting,” Kyoutani murmurs, taking Yahaba’s hand gently.

Gulping, Yahaba turns to meet Kyoutani’s eyes and finds the hazy glaze of love. “Yeah, let’s go…”


	40. Choice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow it's been a long time. I'm very sorry. Also, I changed my name. Lots has happened, but here we go: chapter 40.

It didn’t take very long for the atmosphere of the group to become short with one another. Yahaba can feel the headache forming just thinking about the bickering between the two sides.

On one side, they have Oikawa, returned from his untimely “death” and assuming the role of leader in their group without batting an eye. The only ones who seemed fine with this were the Wizards of their group. Yahaba believes that for the most part none of them actually care who leads them, though.

On the other, there’s Iwaizumi, who responds to anything Oikawa says with a scoff, a snort, or rolling of his eyes. Beside him, his fellow tribe members watch the Grand Wizard King with weary eyes, and the space between each Beast and their respective Wizard friend grew more and more each day.

All except Kyoutani, who didn’t seem at all bothered by the tension in the air and has, apparently, glued himself to Yahaba’s side.

Yahaba hates every second they all spend together traveling south.

The outlier seems to be Watari, who stands at Yahaba’s other side watching everyone with narrowed and judging eyes. In fact, the only three not directly involved in this petty argument - which at this point doesn’t really feel like an argument since nothing has been said since the temple - are Yahaba, Kyoutani, and Watari. If Yahaba has any involvement in the silent war over who actually has control over their group, then he guesses he must be the third leader and his two closest friends are the only ones siding with him.

It becomes apparent this isn’t exactly true a little over a week into their traveling, when the trees begin to grow more and more distant from one another and some start to hold more of their green tones. They have stopped for a break and the sun, high in the sky, warms Yahaba’s skin as he relaxes against a mossy rock with Watari and Kyoutani on either side of him.

The startled shout and resounding smack within their little clearing is enough to make all three jump and turn to peer over the rock at their companions.

“Oh boy,” Watari mumbles, “here we go…”

He doesn’t sound surprised, and Yahaba doesn’t blame him. He sighs as well, watching Oikawa and Iwaizumi stare one another down. From the way the two are looking at one another, Yahaba can only assume Oikawa had approached first and it resulted in Iwaizumi hitting him to keep the distance between them.

Oikawa’s surprise drops the longer Iwaizumi glares at him and he scowls in return. “We can’t keep doing this!”

“Watch me,” Iwaizumi spits as he turns away.

Oikawa snaps, shouting a battle cry when he lifts his hands and blasts Iwaizumi with a magical burst of energy. It shoves Iwaizumi forward, crashing into the tree he’d been walking towards. Everyone goes silent, watching Iwaizumi struggle to stand.

There’s a moment in the silence that nothing seems to move, and Yahaba briefly wonders if the world has stopped. Looking to Oikawa, Yahaba notes his reaction is slow to come, but soon he looks panicked and regretful. Turning his focus to Iwaizumi, Yahaba waits with bated breath to see what he’ll do next, his body slightly trembling from the direct hit.

He blinks, and that’s all it takes for the scene to shift to a flurry of movement.

Iwaizumi has rounded back, the fire blazing from his markings as he charges Oikawa. Oikawa doesn’t hesitate to dodge, deflecting Iwaizumi’s attempt to punch him with another blast of magic, side stepping away. Iwaizumi is quick, however, and already moved to trip Oikawa’s feet up from under him.

Yahaba clambers onto the rock, ready to jump into the fight and break it up when another blast comes from the sidelines. He jerks back in surprise, gaping at Matsukawa as he readies another attack on Hanamaki, something he had never considered to be a possibility. Hanamaki snarls at Matsukawa, lunging at him before he can attack, urging Yahaba to try to stop their fight as well. 

He doesn’t get the chance when a blast of magic shoots past his head. Kyoutani is pulling him down off the rock, Yahaba whipping around to shout at Oikawa for nearly hitting him when he realizes it had been Kindaichi. Yahaba can’t contain his shock as Kyoutani pulls him down further behind the rock, crouching beside Watari. 

At least Watari looks just as surprised by this turn as Yahaba feels. 

“What the fuck is happening?” Watari asks, wincing when Matsukawa falls to the ground hard beside them, Hanamaki tackling him to continue his lashing only to be blasted away. “Why are they all fighting?!”

“Tension,” Kyoutani mutters, glaring to the side where Kunimi deflects another one of Kindaichi’s rogue blasts. “Leaders fighting, others follow…”

“That’s so dumb!” Watari scoffs turning to look at Yahaba. “Do something!”

Yahaba gapes at him. “Wha-what am _I_ supposed to do?!”

“ _Anything_!” Both of them shout and Yahaba looks between the two in shock. He’s pretty sure he’s not breathing at this point - Yahaba wasn’t a leader, not really. 

“Look, Yahaba,” Watari grabs his shoulder and makes him look Watari in the eye, “Oikawa’s fake death made you king. You _are_ the king. You _are_ a powerful Wizard. You can stop this.”

Yahaba might be shaking, staring between Watari’s determined eyes. “I…”

Kyoutani’s grabbing his hand now, and Yahaba freezes at the touch. “Vines,” he grunts, confusing Yahaba enough that he looks to Kyoutani now. “Like when we met.”

For a brief moment, Yahaba has no idea what Kyoutani means. He stares at him in confusion until it hits, a gasp suddenly escaping him when he remembers his first mission. 

Shoving his way back up, Yahaba turns to stare down his companions, getting a good look at where they all stood. Oikawa and Iwaizumi are squaring off directly ahead of him, Oikawa standing tall while Iwaizumi charges low to the ground. To the right, Matsukawa has Hanamaki pinned back with magic, the second in command beast pushing against the powerful blast. To the left, Kindaichi and Kunimi circle one another with narrowed and suspicious gazes, hesitation evident with the twitch of their fingers. 

Taking a deep breath, Yahaba focuses his magic to his hands as he kneels and closes his eyes. With their positions in mind, Yahaba shoves his hands into the dirt and directs the flow to his targets. 

There’s a rumble beneath them, followed by shouts from everyone within the group, until there’s nothing but silence and Yahaba releases a sigh. 

Looking back up, Yahaba can’t hold back his grin when he sees that it worked. The others who had been fighting are all gaping at him, their bodies bound against a large vine that has sprung from the earth, one for each other them. The shock seems to be the only reason no one has broken free - at least, Yahaba assumes this to be the reason. 

“You’re all acting like idiots!” Yahaba shouts, standing again with Kyoutani and Watari’s help. He nearly stumbles, but his two friends have a hold on him. The use of magic is still not easy to come by for him, but Yahaba shakes his head and stands straight to glare at the six idiots. “What were you all thinking?!”

No one speaks still, all unable to look away from Yahaba but apparently unwilling to speak. 

“This has gone on long enough,” Yahaba scowls, crossing his arms, “I’m sick of your petty fight!” No one responds, but their eyes all widen as they stare at Yahaba. “This isn’t the time to be fighting!”

“Uh… Yahaba…?” Watari sounds worried, but Yahaba can’t stop himself. 

“We get it, okay?! You’re both hurt and feeling betrayed,” Yahaba looks between Oikawa and Iwaizumi at this, shaking his head, “but you shouldn’t be dragging everyone else into this! Put your differences aside for now, we have bigger problems to deal with!” Yahaba heaves a sigh and glares at the shadow on the ground. “We need to get the Sun Blessed Desert and find the Southern Element of Fire, and all this arguing is holding us back. So just,” he pulls at his hair, looking back up at the group in the vines. He can’t figure out how to say it, groaning a little as he settles on saying, “just knock it off! Wait until the Hollow Body Phantom is gone!”

No one is looking at him anymore, the shadows on their faces ominous as Yahaba looks between them. Yahaba freezes, a chill running over him before Watari grabs his sleeve and tugs. Slowly, Yahaba turns to Watari, finding him also gaping at the space above Yahaba. Following his gaze, Yahaba feels a weight settle in his stomach at the sight above him.

It’s not like the memory of when he met Kyoutani. There isn’t a heat showering down upon him from the breathing of this creature. It’s ice cold, freezing his skin upon impact and raising goose bumps from the chill. For a moment, Yahaba wonders if this isn’t the same creature, but just as soon as he thinks it, the sound of air being released in one heaving sigh brings with it a wave of heat so intense, Yahaba shudders under the shock of warmth on his frozen skin.

The memory flares in his mind at the stench of the breath, and suddenly Yahaba is struck with the best possible way to describe it - death. The scent of a corpse, one that has decayed for months, baking in the warmth this dark creature exudes.

That’s all it takes for Yahaba to know the shadow is the same as before. The hulking form of the Hollow Body Phantom stands over them, the flickering of the black flames that flow off the main figure rising up to the sky where storm clouds hang in the distance. The light of the sky behind him now seems to not touch the shadowed creature, the darkness within like that of a black hole - cold, dark, lifeless.

Yahaba is at a loss for what to do, and no one else seems to have an idea either. They’re at a standstill, silence eating away at their insides as the Hollow Body Phantom breathes death upon them again.

“Yahaba,” Oikawa’s shaking voice breaks through the silence. He can’t look back, his gaze transfixed on the monster before them. “Yahaba… get us down…”

He can’t move. 

“Yahaba…!”

He’s frozen. 

“ _Yahaba_!”

For a moment, there is nothing but Yahaba and the Phantom. Silence rings in the air, echoing in his mind. There is no ground, no space between them. It’s just him and the monster that leeches the life out of the world. 

And then, the world is trembling. There’s a high pitched shriek coming from the black mass of death, pain shooting through Yahaba’s mind and he feels the heat pool in his ears. He falls to his knees, holding his ears tight against the mind numbing sound until the sound drops an octave and it’s impossible to stay where he is. The air is thick again with the stench of death, heat bearing down upon him as the Hollow Body Phantom roars. 

It stops, and Yahaba cannot move. Shaking, he waits for anything else to happen, slowly lowering his hands and finding blood stains on his gloved palms. He’d fallen back onto the ground, trying to sit up against the vines that hold Oikawa and Iwaizumi. 

Distantly, he hears someone shouting for him, but he cannot make out the words or look away when he finally sees the Phantom again. Or rather, when he sees what’s happening. 

The large mass of darkness is flickering like a flame, the ripples of its body slowly dropping to the ground and flooding the field they’re in. Just as he thinks the Phantom’s shadowy figure will drop into the earth and out of existence, the black shadows on the ground rise up and form into several small Phantoms like the one that had nearly killed Kyoutani. 

He feels the rumble behind him as the vines retreat into the earth, someone grabbing him and yanking him away. Oikawa’s voice is muffled, he can’t make out what he’s saying, but Yahaba knows his king is trying to pull him to safety. 

As he’s pulled, he sees several flashes of energy blasts from Matsukawa, Kindaichi, and Watari while they defend against the dark creatures. The Beasts of their group are focused on landing hits with their claws while avoiding any other contact, for fear of the Hollow Body Phantom’s darkness seeping into their veins. 

Yahaba watches the fluidity of Matsukawa blasting several Phantoms away just before Hanamaki lunges at another, the two stepping around one another without a second glance. Kindaichi and Kunimi have a similar style, their backs to one another as they circle around each other and fight off any Phantoms coming to attack them. Even Watari and Iwaizumi have their own dance together, both sending fiery blasts at any Phantom that gets too close to where Oikawa and Yahaba are as Yahaba is dragged away. 

Only Kyoutani is left to stand alone, the Phantoms converging upon him as he attacks. 

Yahaba struggles against Oikawa’s hold, trying to pull himself up and away alone. He doesn’t _want_ to run, not when his friends have begun to battle against the miniature Phantoms. He can’t run away, not without—

“ _Kyoutani_!” He can’t hear his own voice, but he feels the strain in his throat as he calls out to his Beast. He has no idea how loud he is, or if he can be heard at all, but he knows Kyoutani is getting further and further away. 

He’s fighting against three Phantoms, his claws slashing through the figures and catching nothing, a smokey existence falling through his hands. Kyoutani is struggling and all Yahaba can think is that he needs Kyoutani at his side - but that wouldn’t happen. Kyoutani is a fighter, he wouldn’t abandon a fight just because Yahaba called to him. 

As if hearing this, Kyoutani’s focus immediately snaps to Yahaba where he’s being pulled away by Oikawa, and Yahaba feels his body go numb at the expression on his face. There’s nothing between them, Yahaba feels no recognition as Kyoutani fully turns and sprints towards him and grabbing hold of Yahaba’s limp form. 

There’s a rush of air around him as they move through the trees, far from sight of the battle. Yahaba hears nothing of his friends they left behind, no words shouted out to their retreat. He clutches onto Kyoutani, stiff in the arms of someone who obeyed his silent command. 

Why…? Why would Kyoutani run from the battle? It couldn’t have been because Yahaba unconsciously called to him. Yahaba wasn’t in a proper state to fight, but Kyoutani? Kyoutani was taking on several Phantoms and doing just fine. 

He didn’t want to think it. Yahaba couldn’t bring himself to recognize what it really was. His finger graze the object in Kyoutani’s neck and closes his eyes, wishing for it to end. 

Kyoutani comes to a stop, slowly dropping Yahaba down to the ground. They look at one another, the haze in Kyoutani’s eyes fading until they’re clear again, glowing golden in the shade of the trees. His mouth moves, but Yahaba cannot hear. 

“I don’t know what you’re saying,” he murmurs, uncertain if any sound passes his lips. He feels the vibration of his vocal cords, but there’s no guarantee that his voice was particularly loud. “I’m sorry… I didn’t want to pull you away…”

Kyoutani’s brow furrows and he frowns, head cocking to the side. His mouth doesn’t move again, but Yahaba understands the silent question.

Kyoutani can hear him, but Yahaba cannot. The Hollow Body Phantom’s screech must have only ruptured his eardrums. 

“You didn’t choose to leave,” Yahaba continues, “I made you…”

Kyoutani’s expression doesn’t change for a brief moment, but then his eyes narrow. Yahaba watches him, unable to hear anything. His heart is pounding in his chest, the sound echoing in his head as warmth continues to fall from his ears. Yahaba waits for what Kyoutani might say, trying to focus on his lips to get a read on what he might say. 

His mouth opens, his chest rising in a way that Yahaba assumes is Kyoutani taking a deep breath before he speaks, but then Kyoutani is turning away, looking towards the trees. Yahaba turns to look as well, seeing their friends running towards them. 

Watari is the first to rush to his side, his voice muffled from Yahaba’s ruined ears. Kyoutani must be saying something, Watari turning to him for a second before looking back at Yahaba with a worried expression. He wants to say something to Watari, but Yahaba isn’t sure what he could say. 

Kunimi comes to his other side, reaching out to cup his ear. Yahaba stares at him, uncertain of what he could be doing until he feels the tickle of magic at his temple. It works its way into Yahaba’s ear and to the eardrum, caressing the sensitive area until the rushing sound of air reaches Yahaba. Kunimi drops his hand, shifting to cup Yahaba’s other ear to the same. Kindaichi is peeking over Kunimi’s shoulder now, biting his lip worriedly. 

“—defeated the Hollow Body Phantom!” Matsukawa’s voice reaches them, and Yahaba leans into Kunimi’s hand to look around the three crowded before him. Matsukawa is glaring at Oikawa, Hanamaki at his side and Yahaba can’t make sense of what has happened. “What the Hell was that?!”

Oikawa narrows his eyes, opening his mouth to speak when Iwaizumi steps between them, glaring right back at Matsukawa. “From what we understood, Yahaba and Kyoutani encountered the Phantom when they first met, and Kyoutani was saying something about _Yovoisure_ when we found them that we assumed that meant they defeated it.”

Matsukawa shakes his head, “well if they did before, why didn’t they now?”

Kyoutani scowls, standing to stomp over to him and get in Matsukawa’s face. “He’s hurt!”

“So are we!” Hanamaki yells, pushing Kyoutani away from Matsukawa. “We did all work and Yahaba go running!”

“Not his choice!” Kyoutani scowls, he and Hanamaki leaning towards one another menacingly. 

“Stop!” Yahaba calls, bringing everyone’s attention to himself. “Everyone just stop!”

Watari stands, nodding as he looks over their group. “Yahaba’s right, we need to stop fighting amongst each other. The Phantom can sense the distress between us.”

No one speaks, looking between each other before everyone focuses on Watari again. “Come again?” Oikawa asks, skeptical of what Watari could mean. 

Sighing, Watari pulls his bag closer from where it rests against his hip, digging until he finds a book. He shows it to everyone - _Children of the Moon_. “It’s all in here, you just have to know where to look or… how to interpret things.”

Oikawa is the first to respond, moving closer to Watari and taking the book from his hands. “This… this is _my_ copy.”

“I figured a book kept by kings would be slightly different,” Watari explains, pulling out a second copy. “This one is mine, and - uh - well, there’s entire sections written differently from one another.” He flips open his book, coming closer to Oikawa, showing him where to open to in his book. “See, here; _the Sun and Moon Children will bring an end to the wars of man and destroy that which invokes wrath_. But then, mine doesn’t say that, it simply says _the Hollow Body Phantom brought death in its path until defeated_. You see?”

Oikawa looks between the two books, skimming the passages with a frown. “This… why would it do this?”

“I wasn’t sure, but there are other times where my copy is vague about how to defeat the Hollow Body Phantom, and your’s will say things about a Sun and Moon Children, but it never calls Hollow Body Phantom but it’s name except for maybe… three times?” Watari shakes his head, flipping to other passages in their books and showing them to Oikawa. “Do you see what I mean?”

Nodding, Oikawa looks between the books several times before his gaze rests on Yahaba. “I understand perfectly…”

Watari nods back, eyes scanning the page he has open in his book. “Whoever the Sun and Moon Children are is part of the answer to defeating the Phantom, right?”

“That’s what I’m seeing,” Oikawa murmurs, holding Yahaba’s gaze until he finally turns away. “But why would you think the Phantom is attracted to distress?”

Watari sighs, gesturing to Oikawa’s book. “It… it calls the Hollow Body Phantom many things, but one of the main things it’s called is ‘that which invokes wrath’ or ‘the one who brings discord’ - to me, it sounds like the book is saying Hollow Body Phantom is brought on by hatred an-and fighting, you know?”

Kunimi nods, standing and helping Yahaba to his feet. “You’re right - that’s what our people believe, too.”

Hanamaki hums, rubbing his neck as he and Kyoutani look at one another. “ _Rov irvel yoiv_. Hatred… breeds… darkness?” He doesn’t sound certain of what he’s saying, but Kyoutani nods. Hanamaki nods back and focuses on Kunimi, saying something else in their language that’s too quick for Yahaba to catch.

Before Kunimi can say something back, Kindaichi is nodding along. “Yeah, the darkness hatred brings _is_ the Hollow Body Phantom!”

Matsukawa snickers, “when did you learn their language, Kindaichi?”

He’s blushing a little. “Oh… I just…”

“So what you’re all saying is that _Yovoisure_ is created through war?” Iwaizumi asks, bringing everyone to look at him now. He looks between everyone with a raised brow, clicking his tongue when no one is quick to answer. “Don’t act like that’s not what’s happened here - the war you Wizards started is the cause of—”

“Iwa-chan, _don’t_.” Oikawa’s voice is firm, and his glare is dark as he looks at his husband. “We personally didn’t start the war, it was all—”

“The Magic Council,” Yahaba breathes, cutting off Oikawa and surprising him. “My Gods… the Magic Council making that decree to kill or capture all Beasts on sight… it brought the Hollow Body Phantom back to this world…”

Watari grabs the book from Oikawa’s hands, flipping through the pages quickly until he finds what he’s looking for. “The Sun and Moon Children - it’s the Beasts and Wizards! They’re supposed to live in harmony together but—”

“Washijo,” Oikawa scoffs, shaking his head, “it all leads back to him.”

Yahaba gapes at him. “You… you think he brought the Hollow Body Phantom here on purpose?”

Matsukawa jumps in then, getting the two kings’ attention, “no, it couldn’t just be Washijo. The whole council thought it best, and they wouldn’t let this happen. If anything, they had no clue and were just wanting to wipe out the entire Beast race.”

Hanamaki huffs, scowling to himself. Kyoutani and Iwaizumi share a look, distaste on both their faces. Kunimi is the only one to say something, but what it could have been is lost in translation - though it must have been very unkind from the look on Kindaichi’s face.

Watari groans, “oh, come on! _We_ don’t think that!”

“Sure, then what do you call the last week?” Iwaizumi spits, and Yahaba steps forward.

“ _That_ was your petty _bullshit_ with Oikawa, your _husband_ , because he faked his death and didn’t tell you!” Yahaba throws his hands in the air before Iwaizumi can interrupt him. “For the love of the _Gods_ , put that aside for now! We all get it, Oikawa’s a shitty person, that doesn’t mean you need to drag your tribe members into the fight and have them pitted against their friends just because _Oikawa_ dragged them into it!”

“And the only reason it got so bad is _because_ the Hollow Body Phantom was influencing you!” Watari came to Yahaba’s side, looking around the group as everyone took this all in. “The Phantom had been there the whole time, lurking and waiting for the right moment - it’s not _mindless_ , and it does affect us all.”

No one will look at one another, Watari and Yahaba’s words slowly seeping in. Kyoutani looks around at them all, the only one aside from the two who had not been affected by the Hollow Body Phantom. When no one moves to apologize or, more importantly, argue this, Yahaba reaches into his bag and pulls out Oikawa’s table. He places it down and allows it to grow, finding their location quickly.

“We’re not too far from the Sun Blessed Desert,” Yahaba says, eyeing the storm cloud close to their location. “But the Phantom isn’t far behind - the entire Eastern border looks to be taken over.”

It’s done more than that, however. The lands that denoted where the Kingdom of Seijou had been is now shrouded in darkness; there doesn’t appear to be anything left of their home, and the darkness is seeping closer and closer to Karasuno and, subsequently, Fukurodani. Even Nekoma seems to be in danger.

Yet, the Sun Blessed Desert appears to be safe. Yahaba frowns at this, wondering if perhaps Oikawa is right.

Shrinking the table again, Yahaba stoops to pick it up and everyone begins to move again. When he stands and deposits the miniature table into his bag, he finds Oikawa giving him a significant look before he moves on to follow the group.

Once more, all that remain behind are Kyoutani and Yahaba. Yahaba gulps, seeing the narrowed expression on his lover’s face.

“What did you mean by I didn’t choose…?” Kyoutani asks, his voice soft.

Yahaba shakes his head, taking Kyoutani’s hand. “It’s nothing, Ken. We need to keep moving.”

Kyoutani doesn’t seem to like his answer, but he nods anyway and the two slowly begin to catch up with the group, hands intertwined. Yahaba frowns when Kyoutani isn’t looking, and recalls the blank look in Kyoutani’s eyes when they’d made it away from the Hollow Body Phantom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The reason this took so long is because my notes literally said this and nothing more: “Choice”. Phantom BS. ????? 
> 
> Yeah. Fuck you, past me.


End file.
